Love in Literature
by Melting Angels
Summary: Connor and Gavin are assigned an undercover case at Detroit's top College. Will they be able to work together, or will prejudice get in the way? (Rated M for future content)
1. Chest Ache

**Warning 1:** Racist language directed towards androids.

 **Warning 2:** Alot of swearing.

 **Yes:** There is a Batman reference. I had to think up of surnames. Sue me.

 _If you liked this first part, please leave me a comment! I've got some...steamy scenes in mind for future parts._

This does have a proper story though! It'll be slow burn but when it gets going…it'll get going. If you...know...what I mean ;)

* * *

 **Chapter Summary:**

 _Connor and Gavin are assigned an undercover case at Detroit's top College. Will they be able to work together, or will prejudice get in the way?_

* * *

 **CONNOR P. O.V**

* * *

Connor was starting to get restless. It had been a surprisingly quiet few days, with no real homicides for him and Hank to take a look at. He knew it was likely just the calm before the storm, but that didn't help his current predicament. With nothing else to do, and Hank preoccupied with his own paperwork, he'd resigned himself to making his way through the mountain of paperwork files stored on his desk terminal.

Being so efficient normally served Connor well, but it had seemed to backfire on him quite spectacularly. He'd ended up getting through the files in less than an hour, and found himself with nothing left to do. Nothing other than sitting and staring up at the ceiling. It was maddening, and the silence of the sparsely staffed station made it seem almost eerie.

Most of the officers were out on the street, or working their own small cases. Which left Hank, Connor…and Gavin. After glancing at the grouchy Detective, Connor looked away- suddenly grateful that the place was silent. Though the other man had been avoiding him of late rather than antagonising him, Connor was still reluctant to start up any kind of conversation.

Especially seeing as the way he viewed Gavin had changed. He'd not thought much of him before, given the man's attitude towards him, but recently…he'd found that the Detective was on his mind more often. Connor couldn't figure out why. Why his gaze lingered on Gavin long after the man stormed away from him. Why it made his chest ache every time the man made a crude comment about Connors lack of humanity. Every new day, every new encounter, brought forth questions that Connor couldn't figure out the answer to.

He knew he could have asked Hank, but the Lieutenant was surprisingly focused on his files- and Connor didn't want to disturb him.

"Connor! Gavin! In my office!" Fowler's loud voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.

Surprised, Connor and Hank looked up, frowning- with Gavin having a similar reaction. Why had the two younger Detectives been called up, as opposed to Connor and Hank?

"You going to be alright in there, with that asshole?" Hank looked up, concerned.

"I can handle Detective Reed." Connor spoke confidently.

Truth be told, he didn't want to have to deal with Gavin at all, not until he discerned why he was feeling a myriad of emotions when he saw the Detective. But Connor knew it was also unavoidable.

"You sure, Connor?" Hank pursued.

"I'll be fine, Lieutenant." Connor reaffirmed.

Smiling slightly as he rose to his feet, Connor deftly sidestepped out of Gavin's way, just before the Detective stormed past. The brash motion was definitely impolite, and Connor couldn't deny that it hurt…but it was a vast improvement on how the man had acted on their previous encounters.

Choosing not to let it get to him, Connor followed after Gavin, occasionally glancing back at Hank before they arrived at the door to Fowler's office.

Almost as soon as they stepped in, and closed the door, Connor could feel the tension rising- and Gavin's eyes on him. Awkwardly smiling, Connor took a seat at one of the chairs by Fowler's desk, waiting patiently as Gavin took a seat in the other. Pointedly moving his chair further away from Connor, the Detective focused on Fowler.

"We've got a case." Fowler started.

"Someone kick the bucket at a sex club?" Gavin smirked.

As the corner of the Detective's mouth twitched into the familiar cocky grin, Connor felt the same ache in his chest return. Averting his gaze from Gavin's face, Connor refocused on the Captain.

"No." Fowler took a deep breath. "Two students have gone missing from Detroit's top College over the past month."

"Then why's this the first we're hearing about it?" Gavin frowned.

"They wanted to sweep things under the rug. But rumours started circulating." Fowler continued. "So the President of the College reached out to me."

"If I may, Captain." Connor leaned forward. "Why have you called us in?"

"I was just getting to that." Fowler exhaled slowly, clearly agitated. "He doesn't want us to run a typical investigation. Got too many donors with too much fucking money invested."

"They don't want…" Connor paused. "Captain Fowler, I'm not certain I understand."

"They want to keep things quiet, and we're understaffed…so…" Fowler braced himself. "You two are going undercover."

The reaction was immediate. Gavin rose to his feet faster than Connor had ever seen him move, face flushed. Clenching his hands into fists, the Detective pointedly avoided looking anywhere in Connors general direction.

"I am not working with this asshole!" Gavin spoke adamantly.

Connor remained silent, knowing that whatever he said could end up escalating the already brimming tension. He wanted nothing more than to stand up for himself, and figure out why the man was so opposed to working with him, but he could tell when to pick his battles.

"Gavin-" Fowler took a deep breath. "Don't start. I am not in the mood for your crap."

"Captain-" Gavin protested. "I'm not working with a fucking piece of plastic!"

Piece of plastic. An insult that had become synonymous with the brief encounters between the two of them. It hurt, more than Connor would ever be able to express. He could say he was more than a piece of plastic, because he knew that what Gavin said wasn't true, but Connor couldn't quite bring himself to speak up.

"Reed-" Fowler exhaled slowly, tearing Connor out of his thoughts.

"I won't-" Gavin protested, face still flushed.

"Sit the fuck down." Fowler spoke bluntly.

A moment passed in tense silence, as Fowler and Gavin stared each other down. The loud protest from the other Detective seemed to have drawn some attention from outside- Hank was looking worriedly in their direction. Truth be told, Connor was also concerned. He knew that Detective Reed could be extremely volatile, and was prone to more violent outbursts.

Especially where Connor himself was involved. Something that seemed to increase the unidentifiable ache in Connors chest.

"Fuck." Gavin cursed, after a few seconds.

Reluctantly, the man sat back down in his chair, though he leant back and crossed his arms- anger written clearly into his expression. Displeasure radiated from the man, and with every second that passed, Connor could almost feel the heat of the rage emanating from the Detective.

"Now that's out of the way…" Fowler shook his head. "I've chosen you two because you're our youngest Detectives. So you'll blend in a hell of alot better."

"Understood." Connor remained calm, despite his building nerves.

"Smartass." Gavin muttered under his breath.

"Moving on." Fowler took a deep breath. "You'll be taking the two students' places."

"May I ask what course we'd be taking?" Connor enquired.

"It's…" Fowler seemed amused. "Love in Literature."

"You want to run that by me again?" Gavin leaned forward.

"Love in Literature." Fowler repeated. "Some type of fancy crap."

"Just when I think this couldn't get any worse." Gavin slumped back in his chair.

"I think it could be interesting." Connor tried lightening the mood.

"You think? That's rich." Gavin grumbled.

"Gavin, don't fucking test me. I've had enough of your bitching." Fowler spoke bluntly. "Now. The President has provided you with temporary accommodation. You'll be sharing an apartment-"

"I've got to live with this piece of shit?" Gavin leaned forward again.

Exhaling slowly, Connor forced himself to focus. He knew that Detective Reed didn't like him, but to hear him vocalise it so strongly affected him. In ways he could never have expected.

"For as long as it takes to solve the case." Fowler sent an apologetic glance in Connors direction. "The President has also been generous to provide us with funding. You'll need to buy some new clothes."

"Really?" Gavin huffed.

"It's one of the top funded Colleges in the country. A Lot of rich kids prancing around." Fowler shrugged.

"When do we start the case?" Connor turned the conversation around.

"Right now." Fowler answered. "I'm letting you off early. You'll do some research, go on your fucking shopping trip, and you'll start tomorrow."

"That seems…" Connor paused.

"I'm not happy either." Fowler sighed. "But we can't pass this up. Think you can suck it up, Gavin?"

"Yeah." Gavin groaned. "Whatever."

"Alright then." Fowler nodded. "I'll send you both the necessary files. Here's the keys to the apartment. There's a prepaid card in there."

When Fowler handed him a thick white envelope, Connor glanced in Gavins direction. The man was clearly less than pleased with their current predicament, anger radiating from him with every minute movement.

"I'll be checking in to make sure you don't get each other killed." Fowler concluded. "Don't disappoint me. There's families out there that want answers."

"Understood, Captain." Connor nodded politely.

As Gavin rose to his feet, Connor gripped the envelope tighter. A moment of tense silence passed, before either of them spoke.

"Come on, tin can." Gavin headed for the door.

As they walked, Connor found his gaze lingering on the Detective's back. It was, as usual, covered by a worn leather jacket…but he couldn't bring himself to look away. Just as he found his eyes wandering further down, Connor averted his eyes. He had more important things to focus on than Gavin's…back. When they arrived at the Detective's desk, Gavin took a seat- mumbling under his breath as he did so.

Noting the man's bad mood, Connor quickly pulled up a chair, so they were sitting on opposite sides of Gavin's desk. Despite his obvious distaste for Connor, the Detective was the first to speak up.

"Let's get to work." Gavin leaned forward.

Stunned by the change in mood, Connor frowned. He was just about to speak up when Hank approached, with a face like thunder.

"The fuck did you do?" Hank focused on Gavin.

"Nothing." Gavin acted nonchalant and cocky, as he always did.

"Connor?" Hank turned to look at Connor.

"We've been assigned a case, Lieutenant." Connor spoke calmly.

"Not my idea." Gavin smirked, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"Why can't I-" Hank started.

"Captain Fowler requires us to go undercover. He believes we are the ones best suited to solve this case." Connor forced a smile onto his face.

"Hear that, Hank?" Gavin leaned backwards in his chair, casually.

"You prick-" Hank clenched his hands into fists.

"What? Jealous I get to spend time with your plastic pet?" Gavin taunted.

The way he said the word pet sent chills down Connors spine. He couldn't work out if they were a good thing, but he did know that he couldn't let the man talk about him like that.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me in that way, Detective." Connor decided to speak up.

"I hurt your feelings?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.  
"Yes, I'd like it if you stopped." Connor remained firm.

Seemingly surprised by Connor talking back to him, Gavin elected to remain silent, though his expression conveyed he was deep in thought. Satisfied that the situation had been neutralized, Connor turned to face Hank properly, though he could feel his artificial heart pumping ever faster.

"You going to be alright?" Hank pursued.

"I'll be fine, Hank." Connor smiled reassuringly.

"I'm over there if you need me to kick his-" Hank started.

"Lieutenant." Connor spoke firmly.

"Alright." Hank exhaled slowly.

When Hank finally wandered off, Connor reluctantly turned back to look at Gavin. The Detective was staring at him curiously, though he averted his gaze soon after Connor noticed the obvious stare. He wanted to ask Gavin why he despised him, but Connor knew that asking such a question could end up antagonising the Detective. And so he decided to remain silent. Until his curiosity got the better of him.

"Can I ask you a question, Detective?" Connor spoke up.

"No." Gavin spoke bluntly.

"If we are going to solve this case…" Connor exhaled slowly. "We need to work together."

"And?" Gavin raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"I'd like to know if there's any particular reason you despise me." Connor concluded.

To Connors surprise, Gavin didn't respond back immediately with a crude comment, as he normally did. Instead, the Detective seemed to think on Connors words, expression neutral. Several moments passed in silence, before the other man spoke.

"Why the fuck do you care?" Gavin questioned.

"I…" Connor paused.

When Connor neglected to continue, Gavin frowned, but returned to examining the terminal on his desk. Watching the man type, Connor reluctantly decided to scan him. It was obvious that the Detective wasn't going to spill any personal information, or indicate why he hated Connor- so he had to do it. Focusing on Gavin's face, he executed the scan. It revealed nothing too in depth. Only the man's date of birth, and that he had no criminal record.

Facts Connor already knew. Leaning forward slightly, he focused again. He couldn't access Gavin's sealed records, nor did he want to- whilst the man despised him, Connor didn't want to pry.

At close quarters, he could see the Detective's face in greater detail, and became acutely aware of the scar lying jagged across the man's nose. It was deep, but slightly faded, indicating it had been obtained some time ago. Connor wondered if the backstory behind the scar had anything to do with why the man despised Androids.

It wasn't until Gavin cleared his throat, that Connor realised he'd been staring. Rather sheepishly, he looked away, focusing on their surroundings for a moment…until he could gather the courage to look at the Detective again.

"You running low on batteries or something?" Gavin questioned mockingly.

"No." Connor spoke, perhaps a little too quickly. "I'm listening."

Satisfied, Gavin shrugged, before leaning back in his chair. Following the man's gaze, Connor looked at the desk terminal. On it was the homepage for the College's website- clean and pristine. It showed some minor details alongside a collection of professionally shot photos. In the pictures was a large variety of people.

"Wonder if they take plastic dolls now." Gavin smirked.

Clenching his hands into fists, Connor exhaled slowly.

"Stop." Connor spoke simply.

"Stop?" Gavin frowned.

"If we're going to solve this case, I need you to listen to me, Detective." Connor started.

"The fuck-" Gavin started.

"I am alive. And I'd appreciate it if you recognized that fact." Connor fought the nerves building within him.

"So what I've been saying bothers you that much?" Gavin seemed surprised.

"It does." Connor closed his eyes for a moment.  
He could feel tears building in the corners of his eyes, out of sheer frustration, but he fought to keep them at bay. After a moment, he opened his eyes, and saw Gavin staring straight at him.

"Shit." the man cursed.

Tapping his fingers on the desk, Gavin shook his head slightly, seemingly at war with something inside him. It took several agonising minutes for the other man to speak up.

"Tin-" Gavin stopped himself. "Connor."

Hearing the Detective say his name so gently made the ache in Connors chest grow further. The odd tenderness was incredibly uncharacteristic, but he forced himself to listen. Gavin was unlikely to repeat whatever he was about to say.

"You're really going to make me say it?" Gavin groaned.

Raising an eyebrow, Connor waited patiently. It was clear that Gavin still harbored some resentment towards him, but he refused to let the man continue to insult him.

"I didn't know you…felt things...like that." Gavin seemed to be struggling to speak, for some reason. "I, uh…"

It became clear to Connor that the Detective wasn't entirely comfortable with exuding too much emotion, so he sat silently- waiting patiently for the other man to speak.

"Look, I'm sorry." Gavin looked away.

The apology was spoken hurriedly, leaving the slightest of flushes on the man's face, but it was sincere. Or, at least, it seemed to be.

Connor smiled slightly.

It still didn't tell Connor why the man had been so volatile towards him, nor why he seemed to hate androids in general, but…

It was a start.

"Stop smiling." Gavin huffed. "It's fucking creepy."

Fighting the urge to laugh, Connor reluctantly stopped smiling, though he could tell Gavins words were half hearted. There was no longer any malice behind them.

"Moving on." Gavin sat up straight. "There's not much on the website."

"They probably wouldn't advertise the fact that two of their students have gone missing." Connor pointed out.

"True." Gavin agreed.

"Let's see if we can find the missing student's social media accounts. It might tell us more about them." Connor suggested. "Check the files Captain Fowler sent us."

After a brief moment of scanning through recent emails, Gavin returned to the terminals search engine.

"We know they took the same course. It's likely that they had similar interests." Connor leaned forward.

"Found one." Gavin smiled slightly. "Damian Wayne."

"19 years old." Connor read off the screen. "He likes classical music, guitar, and…old romance novels."

"So he's a hipster." Gavin shrugged.

"It would seem so." Connor agreed. "There's not much to go on."

"Maybe the other one will tell us more." Gavin began typing again.

After a moment, the Other students social media accounts popped up on the terminal.

"Kaitlyn Bennett. 20 years old." Gavin read.

"Her interests are markedly different to those of the other victim." Connor surmised. "She likes rock, heavy metal, and…science fiction novels."

"Completely different interests." Gavin agreed. "Nothing to indicate they knew each other."

"With such dissimilar interests, they probably didn't. Despite being in the same class." Connor continued.

"There's nothing tying the two victims together." Gavin leaned back in his chair. "That's just fucking great."

"I'm sure we'll be able to learn something once we start tomorrow." Connor remained positive.

"Maybe. " Gavin shrugged. "Let's take a look at the other files. Could be we'll learn something else."

After a further few minutes, with the two of them reading through the files Captain Fowler sent the two of them, they both sighed heavily. Leaning back in their chairs, they exchanged glances that lasted perhaps a few seconds longer than either of them intended.

"I got nothing." Gavin cleared his throat.

"I can't find anything useful. They didn't have any criminal records." Connor agreed.

"Doesn't mean they didn't get into trouble." Gavin pointed out. "They just didn't get caught."

"Maybe." Connor frowned.

"Don't think we'll learn anything else from these files." Gavin concluded.

"We could talk to their families." Connor suggested.

"It's a start." Gavin shrugged.

After a moment of awkward silence, the two of them rose to their feet, neither of them knowing what else to say. As they turned and headed out of the precinct, Connor found himself staring at Gavins back…

And found that his eyes were wandering a little lower than before.

* * *

Surprisingly, Gavin didn't have a fancy, flashy autonomous car like most of Detroit. Instead, like Hank, the Detective had opted for something now considered extremely old fashioned. Even by Hank's standards. The car was, after a quick scan, revealed to be a 1969 Dodge Charger. A retro sports model, painted in sleek black and edged with shining silver. It had been well taken care of, looking brand new despite its age. It was also clear it held some sentimental value for the Detective. The sleek car was strangely different to Gavin's rough, edgy exterior. An oddly beautiful contrast.

"It's an impressive car, Detective." Connor spoke up as Gavin turned the keys in the ignition.

A slight smile crossed the Detective's face, and Connor felt the strange ache in his chest return tenfold. With the slight breeze ruffling Gavin's hair, and the oddly peaceful expression on the man's face, he looked vastly different to the man Connor had seen in Fowler's office.

There was definitely still an underlying tension, and many questions had been left unanswered.

But, as Connor had thought to himself before, it was a start.

* * *

As soon as they pulled up to the first victims house, Gavin's entire demeanor changed. The peaceful calm Connor had seen in the car had been replaced by a furrowed brow and sense of deep concentration. Surprised at the change in demeanor, he attributed it to the fact that they were now officially starting the case. Talking to both victims parents was a common starting point, and could end up giving them the vital information they needed. Choosing to remain optimistic, Connor exited the vehicle, waiting patiently as Gavin locked the doors.

After allowing themselves a moment to collect their thoughts, they headed towards the large steel gate that blocked off a gargantuan mansion. It was tall and imposing, with thick concrete walls lining the entirety of the mansions exterior. Whereas all the other homes in the road appeared somewhat lived in, this particular home was perfect.

Almost too perfect- sterile, with every single detail carefully positioned…almost like it had been taken straight out of a magazine.

"Who's there?" a voice from the gate's intercom startled Connor out of his thoughts.

"Detective Gavin Reed from the Detroit Police. I'm here with my…partner, Connor. We've been asked to look into your son's disappearance." Gavin spoke calmly, and matter-of-factly- the complete opposite of the way he normally talked.

"Oh. Of course. Of course. I'll let you in." the voice sounded.

When Connor saw the frown on Gavin's face, he walked closer to his new partner. The man seemed disturbed, as if deep in thought.

"Is something wrong, Detective?" Connor questioned.

"They didn't sound worried." Gavin answered. "Son's missing, and he sounded like nothings happened."

"They weren't expecting us." Connor pointed out. "We may have disturbed them."

"I don't give a shit if we disturbed them." Gavin folded his arms.

Before Connor could speak up, the gates slid open- opening up the long driveway ahead of them. Still confused as to why Gavin seemed so standoffish, Connor followed after the Detective- noting that the man's fingers constantly ghosted over the gun in his holster. Something in the person's voice had unsettled Gavin- but Connor chose not to question it further. The strange peace they'd brought about between them was fragile, that much Connor could tell.

And he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. Not while they had a case to solve.

Not while Connor was still questioning the reason behind the ache in his chest.

Besides, Gavin was a good Detective. And, if he was suspicious, it wouldn't be without a good reason.

Adjusting his jacket, Connor moved to stand beside Gavin as they arrived in the mansions colossal doorway. It was just as pristine and immaculate as the rest of the homes exterior. The sheer perfection was unnerving, so much so that Connor began to understand Gavin's suspicions.

He'd keep his guard up, just in case.

When the doors opened, they were met by an older gentleman in a freshly pressed tuxedo, his receding hair combed back, with not a single hair out of place. Despite the perfect exterior, the man flashed a crooked smile, appearing to be warm and friendly.

"Mr and Mrs Wayne will be with you in just a moment. I've been asked to escort you to the main living room." the older man bowed his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, but we really must speak with them." Connor spoke politely. "It's highly important."

"You're here regarding Master Damian's disappearance, yes?" the older man surmised.

"We are." Gavin confirmed.

"Terrible bit of business, that." the older man shook his head. "He was always such a well mannered young man."

"We need to talk to his parents." Connor insisted.

"They're busy." the older man spoke quickly.

"Too busy to talk to the cops?" Gavin frowned.

"I'm aware you must have your hands full with this case, gentlemen. But they're in a meeting. There's nothing I can do until the meeting concludes." the older man sighed. "Please, follow me to the living room."

As they were shown through the palatial foyer, Gavin and Connor exchanged glances. Connor could see that the Detective was uneasy, likely for reasons beyond the case, but held those questions for later. Remaining silent, he moved to gripping a familiar coin in his hands, finding that the familiar habit dulled his nerves…to a degree.

Once inside a large living room, furnished with glaringly modern architectural pieces that looked like something straight out of a modern art museum. Much like the exterior of the mansion, the interior almost didn't look real. There was no potted plants or knick knacks anywhere to be seen- the place just didn't look like it was lived in.

"I don't like this." Gavin kept his voice down. "Something's not right."

"I agree. There's something unsettling about this place." Connor agreed.

"Too sterile." Gavin continued. "Like…"

Gavin stopped himself before continuing, folding his arms as he exhaled slowly.

"Like what, Detective?" Connor enquired, curious.

"What?" Gavin frowned.

"You said this place was too sterile. Like…something." Connor repeated. "Like what?"

"Like…nothing." Gavin looked away.

"Was that too personal, Detective?" Connor flicked the coin between his hands.

"Too personal." Gavin reaffirmed.

"I didn't mean to offend-" Connor started.

"Just leave it, alright?" Gavin looked furious. "Fucking plastic."

Noting the return of a familiar insult as a response to his question, Connor took the hint, and allowed the room to slip back into silence. He was disappointed, in more ways than one, by the way Gavin had referred to him, but he could also surmise that he'd asked too personal a question. He'd gone too deep. Their relationship definitely wasn't at the point where they'd be sharing their pasts.

Yet, Connor told himself. Yet.

There was hope they'd one day be able to work together properly, without tension.

"Detectives?" a voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.

The elderly man in the tuxedo had reappeared in the living room doorway, with two new people behind him. One was a middle aged woman, wearing a cleanly pressed suit and severe expression. The other was another older man, wearing an equally perfect suit and neutral expression. They looked calm, severe…nothing like the worried parents Connor and Gavin had expected.

"You didn't tell me one of them was an android, Charles." the woman spoke harshly, not caring to keep her voice down.

"I'm sorry if my presence disturbs you." Connor remained calm, despite the vitriol in the woman's words.

"You're damn right it does." the woman turned to face Connor, before glancing at Gavin. "At least one of you is human, I suppose."

"Maybe the android should leave." the older man turned to look at Gavin. "It's disturbing my wife."

Before Connor could even talk, Gavin was moving closer to the couple, arms hanging at his sides as his hands clenched into fists.

"It…has a name." Gavin remained calm. "Connor."

"I don't give a damn what it's name is. It's in my home, and it's disturbing my wife." the man took one of the woman's hands in his own.

"Listen, prick-" Gavin stepped closer.

"Perhaps I should-" Connor tried speaking up, wanting to diffuse the tension.

"Don't you say another word!" the man let go of his wife's hand. "You plastic asshole!"

In a few steps, he was standing in front of Connor, and before anyone could react, the man was stretching out his arm. In one swift motion, he backhanded Connor across the face, with enough force to break his nose. The resounding crack startled the room into silence.

Tears building in his eyes, Connor dropped his coin, bringing his hands up to his broken nose. As he felt the thirium seep through his fingers, he found himself looking towards Gavin.

The man looked positively furious.

He was shaking with rage.

Just as he was stepping towards the older man, Connor spoke up.

"Don't…" Connor's voice shook. "Hurt him, Detective."

"Connor-" Gavin took another step closer to the older man.

"Please." Connor spoke firmly, though his voice was muffled.

"You sure? Because I'd like to give him a piece of-" Gavin started.

"Detective." Connor bent down to pick up his coin.

As he straightened up, moving his hands to cradle his broken nose again, Connor observed the Detective reaching into a pocket in his jacket, before withdrawing a set of chunky, modernised cuffs.

"Mr...Wayne, right?" Gavin smirked.

"Yes." the man who struck Connor frowned.

"You're under arrest." Gavin stepped forward.

"For what? Hitting a glorified plastic doll?!" Mr Wayne scoffed.

"For assaulting an officer." Gavin hastily pulled the man's arms behind his back.

As the Detective cuffed the man, Connor couldn't deny that the ache in his chest had grown. And it wasn't entirely down to the searing pain in his face, either.

"Let's get out of here." Gavin roughly pushed Mr Wayne towards the door.

"Get your hands off of my husband!" the woman, now identifiable as Mrs Wayne, protested.

"I suggest .off." Gavin bit back.

"I could question-" Connor remembered they hadn't questioned the wife.

"I'm not leaving you here with these assholes." Gavin spoke firmly. "Got it, dipshit?"

Smiling slightly, despite the tears threatening to fall, Connor followed after Gavin, not even sparing Mrs Wayne a second glance. He wanted to stay and get more information, but Connor also knew when to walk away. It was unlikely, after the brief debacle, that he'd get anything out of her.

The walk down the drive to the car was thankfully brief, with Gavin pushing Mr Wayne every few steps to urge the man to walk faster.

As Gavin started pushing Mr Wayne into the backseat, behind the safety bars, Connor paused. Before he could speak up, he found an overwhelming sense of dizziness overtake him- as the thirium continued to drip down his chin.

"Shit." Gavin's voice startled Connor.

"Yes, Detective?" Connor looked down slightly to face Gavin.

"You doing alright?" Gavin frowned.

"I'll be able to repair the damage myself." Connor answered.

"That's not what I meant, dipshit." Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"I'm…used to having insults thrown my way." Connor smiled slightly.

Truth be told, the racist comments had cut him to his core. They hurt worse than anything he'd ever heard from Gavin. After all, the words Mr Wayne had spoken were full of unbridled fury and hatred. His words made Gavin's past insults look like nursery rhymes in comparison.

"Shouldn't be." Gavin folded his arms.

"I know." Connor exhaled slowly.

"Anything I can do?" Gavin asked.

"No." Connor answered again.

"Uh…alright." Gavin cleared his throat. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

"The other victim-" Connor started.

"Can wait. This asshole…I want to make sure he gets what's coming to him." Gavin nodded.

"Very well, Detective." Connor exhaled slowly once more.

As Gavin headed round the car towards the driver's seat, Connor found himself smiling despite the intense pain.

If you'd told him earlier that Gavin Reed, of all people, would be looking out for him…

He wouldn't have believed it.

But, Connor thought to himself, as the ache in his chest returned…

It was definitely a welcome change.

Maybe they'd be able to work well together, after all.


	2. After All

**Warning 1:** Racist language directed towards androids.

 **Warning 2:** Alot of swearing.

 **Yes:** There is a Batman reference. I had to think up of surnames. Sue me.

 _I doubt if I'll do every chapter in both points of view, but I wanted to at least do the previous chapter as Gavin. I felt it would give some context as to why Gavin started warming up to Connor._

If you guys like seeing things from both perspectives, I could shorten the chapters to accommodate that. Leave a comment with your thoughts!

 _There's plenty of good stuff ahead after these first two chapters, I promise!_

And yes, this is just a Father/Son platonic friendship between Connor and Hank.

 _Keep an eye out for an Explicit rated chapter in the distant future ;) involving the pairing this fic is all about, of course ;)_

I finished this at 4:51 am and was too tired to proofread for the second time so let me know if you spot any mistakes!

 **Chapter Summary:**

 _This is basically the previous part in Gavin's point of view. It also reveals the one moment when he realised he'd fallen for Connor._

* * *

 **GAVIN P. O.V**

* * *

Gavin was pissed off. Immeasurably so. He'd gone so long without feeling much for anyone. Or anything. One night stands and hookups had been enough for him. Until recently. Of all the people he could have fallen for, his dumbass brain had decided to fall for Connor. The DPD's resident android. Gavin could remember exactly when he'd fallen for the deviant. It had been a couple of weeks ago.

There had been another dry spell in between cases, so everyone was working through the long list of digital paperwork files that had piled up after the android rebellion. Gavin could remember the weather being particularly shitty that day- it had been raining. Practically pouring buckets.

Hank had tumbled in surprisingly early, cursing up a storm as he shook himself dry. Connor had filed in soon after, looking equally soaked. The android didn't look too bothered by everything. And neither was Gavin. Until the android had removed his suit jacket. Without the familiar garment, he could see Connors white shirt underneath.

Gavin remembered clearly how rain had rendered the fabric completely translucent, leaving nothing beneath to the imagination. He could remember how his heart started pounding faster at the sight of the androids chest.

He remembered every little detail- how Connors body looked like it belonged to some fucking underwear model. Gavin could recall how he'd felt his chest ache when Connor rolled up the shirt sleeves to his elbows.

But when the android had removed his tie, and slicked his hair back?

With that stupid smile on his face?

That had solidified it for Gavin.

He'd had to run to the cloakroom and splash cold water on his face. For fear of anyone noticing the red blush on his face.

Yes, that day had been when he realised why he'd been so antagonistic towards Connor.

Why his heart had been racing whenever he saw the android smile.

Or whenever Connor laughed.

It had been a fucked up mix of past memories influencing his views.

He'd been angry because, deep inside, he'd always had feelings for Connor. Seeing the android that day had simply brought those feelings to light. So now, here he was, stealing glances at Connor whilst he worked- like a stupid kid with his first crush.

He knew he should just talk to the android, instead of pining like a hopeless sap.

But Gavin couldn't quite bring himself to do so.

He wasn't even sure why he was hesitating. Nor why he'd chosen to act like an asshole despite the realization of his feelings for Connor.

Maybe he was denying how deep the feelings were.

"Connor! Gavin! In my office!" Fowler's loud voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.

Surprised, Gavin looked up, frowning as he returned to reality. Looking around, he prayed that Connor hadn't noticed the pathetic lovesick look in his eyes.

Luckily, he hadn't.

He could see Hank and Connor talking, and had no doubt that they were discussing him, giving his past hostility towards Connor. But he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. Exhaling slowly, Gavin got to his feet- pointedly avoiding Connor as he headed for Fowler's office.

He could feel his shoulder bumping against Connor as he stormed past, and knew he should have had the balls to apologise, but he just couldn't bring himself to. Gavin doubted whether he'd be able to talk to the android without his voice shaking.

Almost as soon as they stepped in, and closed the door, Gavin could feel the tension rising- and Fowler's eyes on him. Taking a deep breath, he reluctantly took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the Captain's desk. Not wanting to be too close to Connor in case the android decided to scan him and notice his heartbeat.

A heartbeat that Gavin knew the android would be able to see pounding faster whenever their eyes crossed gazes.

Forcing himself to focus, Gavin exhaled slowly.

"We've got a case." Fowler started.

Gavin felt somewhat relieved. He could use this as an opportunity to look more confident than he felt. To focus on something other than the stupidly handsome android sat next to him.

"Someone kick the bucket at a sex club?" he smirked.

As the corner of his mouth twitched into the familiar cocky grin, Gavin focused on the Captain.

"No." Fowler took a deep breath. "Two students have gone missing from Detroit's top College over the past month."

"Then why's this the first we're hearing about it?" Gavin frowned.

"They wanted to sweep things under the rug. But rumours started circulating." Fowler continued. "So the President of the College reached out to me."

"If I may, Captain." Connor leaned forward. "Why have you called us in?"

Gavin exhaled slowly again. Why did something as simple as a voice make his heart skip a beat?

"I was just getting to that." Fowler exhaled slowly, clearly agitated. "He doesn't want us to run a typical investigation. Got too many donors with too much fucking money invested."

"They don't want…" Connor paused. "Captain Fowler, I'm not certain I understand."

"They want to keep things quiet, and we're understaffed…so…" Fowler braced himself. "You two are going undercover."

Startled, Gavin rose quickly to his feet. Why did Fowler have to ask him, of all people, to go undercover with Connor? How was he supposed to come to terms with his feelings with the android at his side, without alerting Connor?

Balling his hands into fists, he made sure not to look at Connor.

"I am not working with this asshole!" Gavin remained adamant.

Inwardly, Gavin cursed. Why was he being so fucking stupid? Treating Connor like shit was the absolute opposite of what he should be doing! Why was he being so hostile?

"Gavin-" Fowler took a deep breath. "Don't start. I am not in the mood for your crap."

"Captain-" Gavin protested. "I'm not working with a fucking piece of plastic!"

He could feel his heartbeat quickening, and didn't need to look at Connor to know how disappointed the android would be looking. How hurt Connor would be by his words. Why was he so adamant on keeping his feelings at bay? And why was he choosing to fight them back in such a way?

Piece of plastic. An insult that had become synonymous with the brief encounters between the two of them. Gavin knew it was one of the worst insults he could think of, reducing Connor to a simple object.

Once, he'd thought the insult was right. Just. Now, however, after seeing how the android had evolved…and after falling for him...Gavin knew what he was saying was wrong.

"Reed-" Fowler exhaled slowly, taking Gavin out of his thoughts.

"I won't-" Gavin protested, knowing his face was still embarrassingly flushed.

"Sit the fuck down." Fowler spoke bluntly.

The next few seconds went by in tense silence, as Gavin found him staring down the Captain. He knew he was being an asshole, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Gavin knew his past was a major factor in why he was being so standoffish towards someone he had feelings for. But he knew he couldn't justify his attitude with that excuse forever.

"Fuck." Gavin found himself cursing after a moment.

Knowing the Captain was running out of patience, he reluctantly sat back down. Leaning back in his chair to appear more confident and casual than he felt, Gavin crossed his arms. He knew he was radiating anger, and that Connor would mistake it for being directed towards him. But, again, he decided to be an idiot and remain silent.

"Now that's out of the way…" Fowler shook his head. "I've chosen you two because you're our youngest Detectives. So you'll blend in a hell of alot better."

"Understood." Connor sounded oddly calm.

"Smartass." Gavin found himself muttering under his breath.

"Moving on." Fowler took a deep breath. "You'll be taking the two students' places."

"May I ask what course we'd be taking?" Connor enquired.

Why was that android's voice so fucking perfect? How could mere words make Gavins heart skip a beat?

"It's…" Fowler seemed amused. "Love in Literature."

"You want to run that by me again?" Gavin leant forward.

Love in Literature? What kind of cosmic asshole had decided that would be the course he and Connor would be taking? Someone had to be playing some kind of joke. Maybe it was karma for how he'd been treating Connor. Either way, Gavin wasn't amused. Not even fucking close.

"Love in Literature." Fowler repeated. "Some type of fancy crap."

"Just when I think this couldn't get any worse." Gavin sighed, before leaning back in his chair.

"I think it could be interesting." Connor seemed to be trying to lighten the mood.

"You think? That's rich." Gavin found himself grumbling.

There it was.

He was being an asshole again.

"Gavin, don't fucking test me. I've had enough of your bitching." Fowler spoke bluntly. "Now. The President has provided you with temporary accommodation. You'll be sharing an apartment-"

Karma. It was definitely karma. How else would he have ended up in this situation?

"I've got to live with this piece of shit?" Gavin leaned forward again.

Yet another insult, Gavin thought to himself. Good fucking job.

Taking a deep breath, Gavin forced himself to focus. He couldn't lose it.

"For as long as it takes to solve the case." Fowler sent an apologetic glance in Connors direction. "The President has also been generous to provide us with funding. You'll need to buy some new clothes."

"Really?" Gavin exhaled calmly.

Shopping. With Connor. He'd be witness to the android trying on any number of outfits. How the fuck was he supposed to stay calm for something like that?

"It's one of the top funded Colleges in the country. A Lot of rich kids prancing around." Fowler shrugged, interrupting his thoughts.

Great. They'd be dealing with a bunch of pompous assholes in addition to the stupid Literature course.

"When do we start the case?" Connor turned the conversation around.

There he went again. With that perfect fucking voice.

"Right now." Fowler answered, interrupting Gavin's thoughts again. "I'm letting you off early. You'll do some research, go on your fucking shopping trip, and you'll start tomorrow."

"That seems…" Connor paused.

Gavin knew his harsh words contributed to the nerves in Connors voice.

How long would his stupid brain keep this shitshow going?

"I'm not happy either." Fowler sighed, bringing Gavin out of his mind. "But we can't pass this up. Think you can suck it up, Gavin?"

"Yeah." Gavin groaned. "Whatever."

How else was he supposed to answer?

'Oh yeah, I don't want to take this case because I'm in love with the android sat right fucking there?'

No. That wouldn't go over well. Nor did Gavin want to voice his feelings out loud. He'd just have to tough it out. Just long enough to solve the case.

Or until he caved and gave into his feelings for Connor, well and truly.

"Alright then." Fowler nodded. "I'll send you both the necessary files. Here's the keys to the apartment. There's a prepaid card in there."

When Fowler handed Connor a thick white envelope, Gavin felt his heart stop when the android looked in his direction. It was clear that Connor had been extremely hurt by Gavin's words.

And that made his heart ache worse than the android's smile.

"I'll be checking in to make sure you don't get each other killed." Fowler concluded. "Don't disappoint me. There's families out there that want answers."

"Understood, Captain." Connor nodded politely.

How did the android remain so calm? He was deviant, so surely he should have reacted more strongly to Gavin's insults.

He had more control over his emotions than Gavin.

But that wasn't saying much. He knew he was shit at keeping his emotional side at bay. His more angry, ugly side.

As he rose to his feet, Gavin noticed how Connor gripped the envelope tighter. A moment of tense silence passed, before either of them spoke.

"Come on, tin can." Gavin quickly headed for the door.

He couldn't stay in that office for one more fucking minute.

As they walked towards his desk, Gavin could have sworn he felt Connor's eyes on his back. He was almost certain that the android was studying him.

Maybe he was just paranoid?

When they arrived at his desk, Gavin took a seat- mumbling under his breath as he did so.

Like that would stop him acting out.

Likely noticing his bad mood, Connor very quickly pulled up a chair, so they were sitting on opposite sides of his desk.

Gavin sighed.

He knew he couldn't stay in silence for long.

"Let's get to work." he leaned forward, trying to appear casual.

Connor, seemingly stunned by the lack of animosity, opened his mouth to speak.

He didn't get far before Hank stormed over, looking like someone had just kicked his dog.

"The fuck did you do?" Hank focused on Gavin.

Gavin had to admit…the man could be pretty fucking scary when he wanted to be.

Not that he'd ever tell Hank that.

He'd never hear the end of it.

"Nothing." he made sure he acted nonchalant and cocky, as he always did.

If Hank figured out he had feelings for Connor…

Well.

Gavin thought he might as well just sign his death warrant now.

"Connor?" Hank turned to look at Connor.

"We've been assigned a case, Lieutenant." Connor spoke calmly.

"Not my idea." Gavin found himself flashing a trademark smirk, as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Why can't I-" Hank started, hands balling up into fists.

"Captain Fowler requires us to go undercover. He believes we are the ones best suited to solve this case." Connor smiled.

At such close quarters, Gavin could see the smile was forced.

It didn't look right.

"Hear that, Hank?" Gavin leaned backwards in his chair, still trying to appear as casual as possible.

"You prick-" Hank began clenching his hands into fists again.

"What? Jealous I get to spend time with your plastic pet?" Gavin found himself taunting.

Why was he trying to make Hank jealous?

And why was he going about it in such a stupid fucking way?

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me in that way, Detective." Connor decided to speak up, startling him out of his thoughts.

"I hurt your feelings?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

He was surprised that Connor had spoken up.

Not that he wasn't expecting it.

He'd been acting so shitty, after all.

"Yes, I'd like it if you stopped." Connor spoke firmly.

Okay, stern Connor was hot.

Fuck.

Surprised by Connor talking back to him, Gavin remained silent, though he made sure that his expression conveyed he was deep in thought. Seemingly satisfied with the silence, as opposed to further insults, Connor turned round to face Hank.

Gavin watched closely.

"You going to be alright?" Hank sounded concerned.

"I'll be fine, Hank." Connor smiled.

There he went with that smile again.

That fucking smile.

"I'm over there if you need me to kick his-" Hank started again.

"Lieutenant." Connor spoke, strangely firmly.

"Alright." Hank seemed somewhat satisfied with Connors answer.

When Hank finally wandered off, Gavin watched as Connor turned to face him. It wasn't until the android tilted his head slightly that he realised he'd been staring.

Shit. Staring. Again.

As he watched Connor, Gavin braced himself, for he could see that the android was clearly preparing to ask him something.

"Can I ask you a question, Detective?" Connor asked.

"No." Gavin found himself being blunt again.

Why, brain, he thought. Why are you like this?

"If we are going to solve this case…" Connor continued after taking a deep breath. "We need to work together."

"And?" Gavin quirked an eyebrow up.

Good fucking job. Could you be any more of an asshole?

"I'd like to know if there's any particular reason you despise me." Connor finished.

I don't despise you, Gavin wanted to say. He wanted nothing more than to say those four simple words. But, again, his dumb ass couldn't quite work up the courage.

"Why the fuck do you care?" Gavin questioned.

"I…" Connor paused.

When Connor neglected to continue, Gavin frowned. It was clear the android had more to say, but he couldn't focus on Connors face any longer.

The light was hitting the androids skin just right.  
He looked like a fucking angel.

Shaking his head, Gavin forced himself to refocus, and returned to examining the terminal on his desk.

Several moments passed by in silence, and Gavin suddenly realised the reason behind the quiet. Connor had to have been scanning him. He hoped his heartbeat had calmed down enough. He wasn't exactly eager to explain that reaction.

Gavin also suddenly became extremely grateful for the fact that his proper records were sealed. He didn't want to talk about his past.

Not yet.

Especially when he knew how Connor would react when he figured out who Gavin himself was related to.

"You running low on batteries or something?" Gavin spoke up, perhaps a little too bitterly.

"No." Connor spoke quickly. "I'm listening."

Satisfied, Gavin shrugged, before leaning back in his chair- returning to looking at the terminal on his desk. On it was the homepage for the College's website- clean and pristine. It showed some minor details alongside a collection of professionally shot photos. In the pictures was a large variety of people.

It was impressive, how many different young adults they'd gotten in the photo.

"Wonder if they take plastic dolls now." Gavin found himself flashing another trademark smirk.

Guess that saying was true, Gavin thought to himself grimly.

Old habits really did die hard.

"Stop." Connor spoke up, startling Gavin.

"Stop?" Gavin was surprised.

Normally Connor remained silent, taking all the insults thrown his way far too calmly.

"If we're going to solve this case, I need you to listen to me, Detective." Connor started speaking again.

"The fuck-" Gavin was shocked.

"I am alive. And I'd appreciate it if you recognized that fact." Connor was clearly nervous.

As he looked at the android, Gavin saw clearly, for the first time, how his words were affecting Connor. He'd never before seen such emotion on him. But then, he'd not been looking before- too blinded by hatred and repressed feelings.

"So what I've been saying bothers you that much?" Gavin worked up the courage to speak again.

"It does." Connor closed his eyes for a moment.  
When the android closed his eyes, Gavin watched intently.

As Connor opened his eyes again, Gavin took a deep breath.

He couldn't keep up the cocky charade.

Gavin knew he'd been saying that all day, but now…

Now it was clearer than ever.

"Shit." he cursed.

Tapping his fingers on the desk, Gavin shook his head slightly.

It took several minutes for him to gather the strength to speak up.

"Tin-" Gavin stopped himself.

No. No more of that.

"Connor." Gavin exhaled slowly.

Seeing the hopeful expression in Connors eyes, Gavin felt his heartbeat quicken again.

God, how could Connor be so fucking perfect?

"You're really going to make me say it?" Gavin groaned.

Connor waited patiently. Gavin almost smiled at that. Despite everything he'd thrown in the android's way, there he was. Still.

"I didn't know you…felt things." Gavin struggled to muster up the courage to continue. "I, uh…"

As Connor continued to wait, ever the patient one, Gavin made a decision.

He couldn't keep using his past as an excuse for how he treated Connor. Nor could he use it as an excuse to hide and keep the feelings at bay.

"Look, I'm sorry." Gavin looked away.

The apology was spoken hurriedly, and he knew his face was flushed bright red like a blushing schoolgirl, but his words were sincere.

At least, he hoped Connor would see that.

When the android smiled, Gavin felt his heart skip a beat again. It was a slightly crooked smile, radiating a warm and genuine nature.

A perfect-imperfect smile.

"Stop smiling." Gavin exhaled slowly, before talking again to cover up his nerves. "It's fucking creepy."

No, not creepy.

The most beautiful smile in the world.

"Moving on." Gavin sat up straight again. "There's not much on the website."

"They probably wouldn't advertise the fact that two of their students have gone missing." Connor pointed out.

"True." Gavin agreed, nodding slightly.

"Let's see if we can find the missing student's social media accounts. It might tell us more about them." Connor suggested. "Check the files Captain Fowler sent us."

After a brief moment of scanning through recent emails, and grabbing a few snippets of vital information, Gavin returned to the terminals search engine.

"We know they took the same course. It's likely that they had similar interests." Connor leaned forward.

With the android so close, Gavin felt a breath catch in his throat.

So close to Connor, he could see every little detail.

Even the slight dimples whenever the android smiled.

He was so fucking perfect.

"Found one." Gavin found himself smiling, despite his racing heart. "Damian Wayne."

"19 years old." Connor read off the screen, thankfully oblivious to Gavins nerves. "He likes classical music, guitar, and…old romance novels."

"So he's a hipster." Gavin summarized.

"It would seem so." Connor agreed. "There's not much to go on."

"Maybe the other one will tell us more." Gavin tried typing again.

After a moment, the Other students social media accounts popped up on the terminal.

"Kaitlyn Bennett. 20 years old." Gavin read carefully.

"Her interests are markedly different to those of the other victim." Connor continued. "She likes rock, heavy metal, and…science fiction novels."

"Completely different interests." Gavin frowned. "Nothing to indicate they knew each other."

Nothing. Just their luck.

"With such dissimilar interests, they probably didn't. Despite being in the same class." Connor carried on.

"There's nothing tying the two victims together." Gavin leaned back in his chair, trying to relax. "That's just fucking great."

"I'm sure we'll be able to learn something once we start tomorrow." Connor seemed to be remaining positive, as per usual.

"Maybe. " Gavin shrugged. "Let's take a look at the other files. Could be we'll learn something else."

After a further few minutes, with the two of them reading through the files Captain Fowler sent the two of them, they both sighed heavily. Leaning back in their chairs, they exchanged glances that lasted perhaps a few seconds longer than either of them intended.

Had Gavin been mistaken, or was Connor staring at him?

"I got nothing." Gavin cleared his throat.

"I can't find anything useful. They didn't have any criminal records." Connor agreed, after clearing his throat.

"Doesn't mean they didn't get into trouble." Gavin pointed out. "They just didn't get caught."

"Maybe." Connor frowned.

"Don't think we'll learn anything else from these files." Gavin concluded.

Why couldn't they find any useful information?

"We could talk to their families." Connor suggested helpfully.

"It's a start." Gavin shrugged.

After a moment of awkward silence, the two of them rose to their feet, neither of them knowing what else to say. As they turned and headed out of the precinct, Gavin found his heartbeat quickening again.

He could only hope that Connor wasn't able to detect the way his chest was racing.

* * *

As the two of them walked up to his car, Gavin felt instant relief. The vehicle, now considered practically ancient by modern standards, offered a strange sense of comfort. The 1969 Dodge Charger had been a favourite of his ever since he got dragged to a retro car show as a kid. Gavin found it much more inviting than the flashy, autonomous cars that most people now drove. And he took pride in having the car. He'd kept it spotless and shining, always making sure it looked as good as it did on the day he bought it.

Smiling slightly, Gavin carefully opened a car door, before hopping into the driver's seat.

Everyone had to have a hobby, right?

"It's an impressive car, Detective." Connor spoke up as Gavin turned the keys in the ignition.

Smiling slightly at the compliment, Gavin turned to look at Connor for a moment.

When he saw Connor smiling back, he felt his chest ache.

There was definitely still an underlying tension.

Months of insults weren't going to go away in a matter of minutes.

But he'd finally worked up the courage to apologise.

And that was a start.

* * *

As soon as they pulled up to the first victims house, Gavins felt his blood run cold. After allowing himself a moment to collect his thoughts, he headed towards the large steel gate that blocked off a gargantuan mansion, with Connor following close behind. It was tall and imposing, with thick concrete walls lining the entirety of the mansions exterior. Whereas all the other homes in the road appeared somewhat lived in, this particular home was perfect.

Almost too perfect, with every single detail carefully positioned…almost like it had been taken straight out of a magazine.

Or a fucking horror movie.

Seeing such a gargantuan mansion with its intimidating exterior threatened to bring back unpleasant memories that Gavin had long since buried deep in the recesses of his mind.

"Who's there?" a voice from the gate's intercom startled Gavin out of his thoughts.

"Detective Gavin Reed from the Detroit Police. I'm here with my…partner, Connor. We've been asked to look into your son's disappearance." Gavin spoke calmly, wanting to appear confident even if his head was screaming at him.

"Oh. Of course. Of course. I'll let you in." the voice sounded.

Gavin realised that Connor had picked up the frown on his face when the android moved closer to him.

The genuine concern on Connors face made Gavin's chest ache again.

"Is something wrong, Detective?" Connor questioned, keeping his voice down.

"They didn't sound worried." Gavin answered bluntly. "Son's missing, and he sounded like nothings happened."

"They weren't expecting us." Connor pointed out tactfully. "We may have disturbed them."

"I don't give a shit if we disturbed them." Gavin folded his arms.

The creepy mansion was setting his nerves on edge- as if they weren't on fucking fire before. Forcing himself to focus, Gavin exhaled slowly. As the gates slid open, after a few moments of silence, he took in a deep breath. Keeping a hand near his gun holster just in case, he started walking up the long, elaborate driveway.

He knew Connor would pick up on his sudden change of demeanor.

But he couldn't afford to think about that too much.

Clearing his throat, Gavin watched as Connor moved to stand beside him as they arrived in the mansions colossal doorway. It was just as pristine and immaculate as the rest of the homes exterior.

There wasn't a single fragment out of place.

Whereas Connors perfection made Gavin blush, the mansions attention to detail elicited a far darker sensation.

He'd keep his guard up.

When the doors opened, they were met by an older gentleman in a freshly pressed tuxedo, his receding hair combed back, with not a single hair out of place. Despite the perfect exterior, the man flashed a crooked smile, appearing to be warm and friendly.

But Gavin knew such a smile could be faked.

With enough practice.

"Mr and Mrs Wayne will be with you in just a moment. I've been asked to escort you to the main living room." the older man bowed his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, but we really must speak with them." Connor spoke politely. "It's highly important."

How the fuck did Connor stay so calm?

Gavin wondered if the android was picking up on the eerie presence surrounding the mansion.

"You're here regarding Master Damian's disappearance, yes?" the older man startled Gavin out of his thoughts.

"We are." Gavin confirmed, quickly.

He couldn't afford to show his nerves.

It would only end up backfiring on them.

"Terrible bit of business, that." the older man shook his head. "He was always such a well mannered young man."

"We need to talk to his parents." Connor insisted.

"They're busy." the older man spoke quickly.

"Too busy to talk to the cops?" Gavin frowned.

A young man, barely even an adult, was missing. So…why was the older man so oddly unmoved?

Every word the man spoke seemed…off.

"I'm aware you must have your hands full with this case, gentlemen. But they're in a meeting. There's nothing I can do until the meeting concludes." the older man sighed. "Please, follow me to the living room."

As they were shown through the palatial foyer, Gavin exchanged glances with Connor. The android was starting to look as concerned as he felt.

He didn't know whether to be concerned or relieved.

Once inside a large living room, furnished with glaringly modern architectural pieces that looked like something straight out of a modern art museum. Much like the exterior of the mansion, the interior almost didn't look real. There was no potted plants or random odds and ends anywhere to be seen- the place just didn't look like it was lived in.

With a look around the room, Gavin realised there wasn't even a speck of dust anywhere to be seen.

The room was almost impossibly clean.

"I don't like this." Gavin made sure to keep his voice down. "Something's not right."

"I agree. There's something unsettling about this place." Connor agreed.

So the android had definitely picked up on Gavins cues.

Good.

Connor was a fast learner.

"Too sterile." Gavin continued. "Like…"

Gavin managed himself before continuing, folding his arms as he exhaled slowly.

He'd almost tripped up.

Memories threatened to surface again.

"Like what, Detective?" Connor enquired, curious.

Why was the androids voice so gentle?

"What?" Gavin frowned.

"You said this place was too sterile. Like…something." Connor repeated. "Like what?"

"Like…nothing." Gavin looked away.

He definitely wasn't comfortable going into his past yet.

"Was that too personal, Detective?" Connor flicked the coin between his hands.

The concern in Connors voice seemed genuine, but that did nothing to calm his nerves.

"Too personal." Gavin reaffirmed.

"I didn't mean to offend-" Connor started.

"Just leave it, alright?" Gavin looked furious. "Fucking plastic."

Knowing that Connor would no doubt pick up on the return of a familiar insult as a response to his question, and he felt shitty about it, but Gavin couldn't quite bring himself to apologise.

He'd have some explaining to do once they left.

That much he knew.

At least now, after their earlier exchange, there was hope they'd one day be able to work together properly- without tension.

Without Gavin resorting to old insults.

"Detectives?" a voice shocked him out of his thoughts.

The elderly man in the tuxedo had reappeared in the living room doorway, with two new people behind him. One was a middle aged woman, wearing a cleanly pressed suit and severe expression. The other was another older man, wearing an equally perfect suit and neutral expression.

Both of them looked calm, severe…nothing like the worried parents Gavin had expected.

They were so peaceful and eerily serene that they almost looked alien.

"You didn't tell me one of them was an android, Charles." the woman spoke harshly, not caring to keep her voice down.

Gavin frowned, snapping back into full awareness.

"I'm sorry if my presence disturbs you." Connor remained calm, despite the vitriol in the woman's words.

"You're damn right it does." the woman turned to face Connor, before glancing at Gavin. "At least one of you is human, I suppose."

"Maybe the android should leave." the older man turned to look at Gavin. "It's disturbing my wife."

Before Connor could talk again, Gavin found himself moving closer to the couple, arms hanging at his sides as his hands clenched into fists.

He knew it was ironic, calling the two parents out on their insults, after how he'd treated Connor.

But he wasn't about to fall back into old habits.

Not again.

Not when he was starting to understand the depth of his feelings towards the resident android.

"It…has a name." Gavin did his best to remain calm. "Connor."

He could have sworn he saw a smile crossing Connors face.

"I don't give a damn what it's name is. It's in my home, and it's disturbing my wife." the man took one of the woman's hands in his own.

"Listen, prick-" Gavin stepped closer.

He wasn't going to let anyone, even himself, talk to Connor in that way anymore.

"Perhaps I should-" Connor tried speaking up, wanting to diffuse the tension.

"Don't you say another word!" the man let go of his wife's hand. "You plastic asshole!"

In a few steps, he was standing in front of Connor, and before Gavin could react, the man was stretching out his arm. In one swift motion, he backhanded Connor across the face, with enough force to break his nose. The resounding crack shocked the room into silence.

Feeling rage build within him, Gavin turned to look at the android. He could see that true tears were building in Connors eyes. The android was so shocked that he dropped his coin, bringing his hands up to his broken nose. As he saw the blue blood leaking through Connors fingers, and dripping down his pale chin, Gavin felt the anger begin to take over.

He was fucking furious.

He could feel himself shaking with rage.

Just as he was stepping towards the older man, Gavin heard Connor speak up.

"Don't…" Connor's voice shook. "Hurt him, Detective."

"Connor-" Gavin took another step closer to the older man.

He was ready to tear the guy a new asshole.

"Please." Connor spoke firmly, though his voice was muffled.

"You sure? Because I'd like to give him a piece of-" Gavin started.

He wanted to lay into the man.

Teach him a lesson.

"Detective." Connor bent down to pick up his coin.

As he straightened up, moving his hands to cradle his broken nose again, Gavin reluctantly pulled out a pair chunky, modernised cuffs from his jacket.

"Mr...Wayne, right?" Gavin smirked.

"Yes." the man who struck Connor frowned.

"You're under arrest." Gavin stepped forward.

He still wanted to beat the guy up for laying a hand on Connor, but he couldn't say no to the androids plea for a peaceful resolution.

"For what? Hitting a glorified plastic doll?!" Mr Wayne scoffed.

"For assaulting an officer." Gavin hastily pulled the man's arms behind his back.

As he cuffed the man, Gavin glanced at Connor. Despite the androids attempts to remain calm, Gavin could see the fear and pain written clearly into Connors expression.

"Let's get out of here." Gavin roughly pushed Mr Wayne towards the door.

He couldn't beat the guy up after Connors insistence...but he could make life difficult for the pompous asshole.

"Get your hands off of my husband!" the woman, now identifiable as Mrs Wayne, protested.

She sounded every bit as evil as her husband.

Fucking pricks.

"I suggest .off." Gavin bit back.

"I could question-" Connor started.

"I'm not leaving you here with these assholes." Gavin spoke firmly. "Got it, dipshit?"

The word, reformed from insult to somewhat fond nickname, seemed to illicit a small smile from Connor.

Knowing they wouldn't get anything out of the wife, Gavin forced Mr Wayne to walk faster.

The walk down the drive to the car was thankfully brief, with Gavin pushing Mr Wayne every few steps to urge the man to get a fucking move on.

As he started pushing Mr Wayne into the backseat, behind the safety bars, Gavin heard Connor stumble.

Turning, he saw the android steadying himself against the gate.

"Shit." Gavin cursed.

"Yes, Detective?" Connor looked down slightly to face Gavin.

Up close, he could see the silent tears building in the androids shining eyes.

"You doing alright?" Gavin frowned, concerned.

"I'll be able to repair the damage myself." Connor answered.

"That's not what I meant, dipshit." Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"I'm…used to having insults thrown my way." Connor smiled slightly.

Knowing he'd contributed to that, Gavin exhaled slowly.

"Shouldn't be." Gavin folded his arms, speaking after a moment of silence.

"I know." Connor exhaled slowly, sounding more human than ever.

"Anything I can do?" Gavin asked gently.

"No." Connor answered again.

"Uh…alright." Gavin cleared his throat. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

"The other victim-" Connor started.

Of course the android would still want to focus on the case.

"Can wait. This asshole…I want to make sure he gets what's coming to him." Gavin explained.  
"Very well, Detective." Connor exhaled slowly once more.

As he headed for the driver's seat, Gavin watched as Connor smiled slightly again.

If you'd told him earlier that him, Gavin Reed, of all people, would be looking out for an android…

He would have said you were fucking insane.

But…

It was a welcome change.

Maybe they really would be able to work together, after all.


	3. Feelings

**The response to this series so far has been incredible! I'm so happy that so many of you are enjoying this little passion project of mine. I haven't fallen so hard for a pairing in a long time.**

Did a bit of research on writing mutual pining. Which was fun. So this should be a good chapter!

 **Warning 1:** Racist language directed towards androids.

 **Warning 2:** Alot of swearing.

 **Yes:** There is a Batman reference. I had to think up of surnames. Sue me.

Also, if you'd like to see the outfits I describe in this chapter, please check out my tumblr blog:

 _meltingangels_

And search for the tag: _love in literature_

 **You'll see two posts further down showing images of Connor and Gavin's outfits. Yes, I have a thing for describing outfits in detail! Don't judge lmao.**

The plot will really get going in the next chapter or so. Have to lay the groundwork first.

 **Chapter Summary:**

 _Connor and Gavin interview Mr Wayne. After leaving the room feeling unsettled, they decide to move on to the next victims parents._

 _Getting information wasn't going to be easy…but they knew they'd have a chance to relax on the shopping trip. It was for the case. All for the case. Right?_

* * *

 **CONNOR P. O.V**

* * *

The rest of the drive passed in tense silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Connor was somewhat grateful for the quiet- his broken nose joints were sending painful pulses through his head. The eerie presence of Mr Wayne did little to help.

Something about the man was setting Connor on edge, and, if Gavin's expression was anything to go by…it was having an effect on the Detective as well. Leaning further back into his seat, as a particularly sharp burst of pain hit him, Connor exhaled slowly.

The motion was effectively useless on him, but he'd found that the humanlike habit served to calm his nerves.

"Hey, Connor?" Gavin's voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Detective?" Connor turned round to look at Gavin.

When he saw the hurt and concern written clearly into the other man's expression, Connor found the ache in his chest returning. It seemed to intensify whenever he looked at Gavin…and Connor still wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"You alright?" Gavin questioned.

"I did say I would be able to repair-" Connor started.

"Not that, dipshit." Gavin kept his voice down.

"You already asked about my wellbeing, Detective." Connor pointed out.

"I know." Gavin cleared his throat. "Fuck."

"Your concern is…" Connor smiled slightly, in spite of the pain. "Touching."

"Yeah?" Gavin looked away.

"Yes. Thank you, Detective." Connor spoke sincerely.

"Don't mention it." Gavin almost stumbled over his words.

When a noticeable blush crossed onto Gavin's face, Connor felt his chest ache again. The almost uncharacteristic redness in the man's face was oddly endearing. With the gentle breeze ruffling the Detective's hair, Connor found himself staring unashamedly. Focusing intently, Connor felt his heart beat faster.

Unfortunately, Connor found that the moment was shattered when they pulled into the DPD's parking lot.

Almost wishing he could return to that tender moment, Connor reluctantly exited the vehicle. As he straightened up, he felt fresh thirium begin to stream forth from his nose. Startled by the still-relatively-new sensation of the cool blue liquid running down his chin and neck, Connor moved his hands up to cup his nose.

He knew he could repair the damage once they got inside. But that didn't help the pain still spiking through his head. Or the thirium streaming down his neck.

"Can I help, Detective?" Connor walked round the car, voice muffled.

"I've got it." Gavin spoke confidently, as he roughly pulled Mr Wayne out of the vehicle.

The man didn't even say a word when Gavin shoved him so hard he almost tripped over. The serene smile on his face was intensely unsettling, for reasons Connor couldn't quite place. Mr Wayne showed no fear or remorse. In fact, he showed no emotions at all.

There wasn't even the slightest hint of a feeling, like the man was…empty.

Shuddering slightly, Connor continued to hold his nose, grimacing as he felt the thirium seep through the gaps in between his trembling fingers. The sensation was unpleasant, and uncomfortable to say the least. Pain was one of the few sensations that Connor had never really been able to adapt to.

He wasn't sure how humans functioned, feeling pain as soon as they were born. Connor had only been feeling it for a few months. And he'd already had enough.

After allowing himself a moment to collect his thoughts, Connor took a deep breath. Or, as deep as he could.

Staying close to Gavin, he waited as the Detective locked the car up, before returning to ushering Mr Wayne inside.

The two of them walked closely, marching in side by side, with Gavin's arms firmly at their captives' back. Such a show of unity didn't go unnoticed- Connor could feel several sets of eyes following them. He couldn't blame them. Only a few days before, they'd practically been at each other's throats.

When they entered the main foyer, Connor noticed the room instantly falling silent. It seemed that most of the force had returned, judging by the sheer amount of people staring at Connor and Gavin. Before Connor could even speak up, he heard a series of loud curses, combined with the sound of shattered porcelain.

"Connor!" Hank rushed up to them. "The fuck happened?"

As the Lieutenant placed his hands on his shoulders, examining him carefully, Connor couldn't help but smile. It hurt, the motion pulling on torn skin, but he couldn't help it. The concern written in Hank's expression touched Connor.

"The fuck happened?" Hank repeated, before stepping back.

"This asshole…" Gavin shoved Mr Wayne forward. "Figured he could get away with assaulting a police officer."

"Piece of shit." Hank moved closer to their captive. "Who is he?"

"Parent of a missing kid. Need to talk to him. Since he fucked up our first chance." Gavin explained. "Think you can handle taking him to interrogation?"

"And leave you two alone? No fucking way." Hank crossed his arms.

Immediately noticing the rapid change of expression on Gavin's face, Connor attempted to diffuse the situation. He didn't want Gavin and Hank to start anything. Not when they had an important job to do.

"It's alright, Lieutenant." Connor kept a grip on his nose, still feeling the blood flowing.

"You sure, Connor?" Hank frowned, looking uncertain.

"We've…" Connor glanced at Gavin. "Come to an understanding."

"Connor…" Hank started. "You need to get checked-"

"I'll be fine, Lieutenant." Connor smiled slightly.

"I'm not leaving you with that asshole!" Hank protested, blatantly pointing at Gavin.

Knowing that the Detective was likely struggling not to bite back with a hastily worded insult, Connor quickly responded.

"Please." Connor spoke firmly.

After several moments of tense silence that attracted more than a few glances from the other officers, Hank exhaled slowly.

"Fuck it." Hank nodded slightly. "I'll do it."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Connor heaved a sigh of relief.

When Hank took over from Gavin, practically dragging Mr Wayne towards the interrogation cells, Connor turned to look at Gavin. The anger at Hank's protests had been replaced with the same gentle concern that he'd seen on the Detective on the drive over.

With the light from the building's wide modern windows illuminating the room, the golden rays of sunlight dappled perfectly on Gavin's face, giving the man an almost angelic look.

Connor felt his heart skip a beat.

His chest was aching again.

"Come on." Gavin began walking towards his desk, gesturing for Connor to follow.

Hoping that the Detective wouldn't pick up on his nerves, Connor steadily walked behind Gavin, and soon found it extremely hard to tear his gaze away from the man's lower back.

Just as he found his mind drifting towards dreams of what lay underneath the worn leather jacket, Connor felt himself being carefully pushed down into a chair.

Frowning, he situated himself properly on the seat, before watching intently as Gavin pulled round another chair to sit opposite him. Ignoring the eyes upon them, the Detective reached over his desk, rummaging around for a second before producing a sleek black box. It was unremarkable, save for a holographic white Cross on top.

Curiosity piqued, Connor watched as Gavin opened the container. Inside was a myriad of bottles and small contraptions- a standard issue medaid kit. Effectively useless on androids.

"Detective-" Connor started.

"You said you could fix this shit?" Gavin gestured to Connors nose.

"I can. I just need to reset the joints." Connor continued. "It'll only take a moment."

"You, uh…need some help with that?" Gavin cleared his throat.

"I appreciate the offer, Detective." Connor moved his hands away from his nose. "I'll be alright."

After a quick scan, revealing nothing more than he already knew, Connor reluctantly moved a single thirium-stained hand up to his broken nose. He grimaced, for every slight touch almost seemed to set his skin alight, like his very nerve endings were ablaze. With some effort, he went past the pain, before pushing on the broken joints, his hand shaking with the effort.

The sound of hardened plastic grating against itself made Connors stomach turn uncomfortably. After a moment, Connors broken nose moved back into place, with a sickening snap that reverberated through the main room, eliciting more than a few grumbled curses from nearby officers.

Blinking away artificial tears, Connor forced himself to refocus on the Detective, as the minor flesh wound from the break began to knit itself back together. Pale-faced, Gavin looked on in a mixture of disgust and morbid fascination.

Before he could speak up, Connor found himself watching, as Gavin reached into the med kit for an antiseptic cloth. Without a single word, the other man carefully cleaned the blue stains from Connors hands. Every movement was slow and gentle, something that Connor had never before associated with the grouchy Detective.

When the man shifted slightly, and gently began wiping the thirium from his face, Connor had to stifle a gasp. The closer contact made his chest ache harder than ever before, so much so that he could feel the artificial heart within pumping ever faster.

Every single gentle touch, combined with the Detective's free hand on his shoulder, sent chills down Connors spine.

It was…unlike anything he'd ever felt.

As Gavin gently cleaned the blue blood away from his neck, Connor could have sworn he saw another red blush cross onto the man's face.

Biting his lip, as Gavin smiled awkwardly up at him, Connor forced himself to look away, for fear the intuitive Detective would notice his nerves.

When the last vestiges of thirium were cleared from his skin, Connor waited as Gavin discarded the antiseptic cloth. Daring to look back at the man, Connor felt his heartbeat quicken, and the ache in his chest return tenfold. He wasn't sure if he could take his racing heartbeat much longer.

As Gavin hesitantly reached both hands up, shaking slightly, Connor remained silent.

When the Detective's trembling hands moved to gently cup his face, he found himself looking at Gavin properly for the first time.

Up close, he could see .detail.

The crooked smile.

A familiar scar across his nose.

The tiny, faded scar on his chin.

Every little imperfection made Connors chest ache again, artificial heart fluttering nervously. Connor couldn't ever recall feeling that way. Yes, he'd been programmed to feel emotions more strongly, and had experienced nerves before…but Connor could tell the new sensation was different.

With Gavin's hands resting tenderly on either side of Connors face, the two of them remained like that for some time, before the Detective seemed to realise exactly what he was doing.

As Gavin cleared his throat, face flushing bright red, Connor could have sworn he felt his heart stop. It was clear that the Detective was as nervous as Connor about the gentle gesture, but, to his relief, Gavin didn't move.

When he took in the nervous look in the other man's eyes, and the oddly wonderful laughter lines around them…

Connor came to a realization.

The ache in his chest…the way his artificial heart raced whenever he locked eyes with Gavin…was all down to one simple fact. Something Connor could never have imagined.

He'd fallen for Gavin.

The realization brought with it an overwhelming sense of fear, and Connor found himself attempting to deny the feeling.

How could he have fallen for the Detective, of all people, when the man had only ever been incredibly antagonistic towards him? Of course, the man had been attempting to make an effort since they started their first case together, but months of insults and past hatred couldn't just vanish from memory in a matter of hours.

Still feeling Gavin's warm hands against his skin, Connor felt the world around them stop. He could feel healed scars, and found himself wanting to know the story behind them as much as the scars on Gavin's face. Connor soon realised it wasn't simply the story of the scars he wanted to know. It was the Detective's story itself.

He wanted to know more about Gavin. Why the man had acted the way he did when Connor joined the force. Why he'd spilled such vile rhetoric at every opportunity.

And, more importantly, why he'd responded to Connors words earlier. Why his entire demeanor seemed to have changed so quickly. The Detective was a puzzle, a myriad of emotions that Connor wanted to decipher. He wanted to know who Gavin truly was. And that scared Connor.

Would asking about the man's past open the gap between them once more? Would it shatter the fragile understanding that they'd built between them?

All the possibilities frightened Connor…but somehow excited him at the same time.

And, for a few blissful seconds…

Everything was perfect.

Until that moment was shattered.

"The fuck are you doing?" Hank's voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.

Immediately, Gavin reacted, taking his hands away from Connor quickly- before crossing his arms in an attempt to appear nonchalant. As if he and Connor hadn't been staring into each others' eyes like lovesick teenagers mere moments before.

Seeing the Detective slip back into his old persona hurt Connor- but he couldn't bring himself to speak up. Not while Hank was there. The Lieutenant despised Gavin, and Connor couldn't exactly blame the man for feeling that way.

After all, the Detective had previously antagonised them at every opportunity.

"Connor." Hank took a deep breath, before turning to face the android. "You-"

"I'm fine, Lieutenant." Connor answered quickly. "I appreciate the concern."

"He pull anything-" Hank started.

"Nothing happened." Connor lied smoothly.

"He was touching you, Connor. Did he hurt you?" Hank kept his voice down.

"I'm right here, asshole." Gavin spoke adamantly, clearly pissed off.

Connor couldn't work out if Gavin was more pissed off by Hank's attitude, or the fact that the Lieutenant had interrupted the oddly tender moment they'd shared together. Connor found himself hoping it was the latter.

"The fuck did you say?" Hank whirled round to face Gavin.

When Gavin didn't reply, and instead rose to his feet slowly in a show of defiance, Connor felt the tension in the room racket up. The hatred was pouring off of Hank and Gavin in waves, seeping into the room with such intensity that Connor could have sworn he felt it himself.

Not wanting the situation to escalate any further, Connor also stood up- taking a deep breath before stepping in between Gavin and Hank.

"I believe it's best that we focus on the investigation." Connor glanced between the two men.

He knew he was going to find it hard to concentrate, given his recent revelation of his feelings for Gavin, but Connor knew he had to do something to halt the tension before anything had the chance to kick off.

"Hear that, Hank?" Gavin smirked.

The slight quirk of the Detective's lips made Connors artificial heart skip a beat once more, but he forced himself to focus.

"Oh, that's it-" Hank took a step forward.

"Lieutenant." Connor spoke firmly.

Reluctantly, Hank backed away, though his face revealed a deeper anger. Connor couldn't blame the man- Gavin hadn't made it easy to trust him.

"I'll be at my desk." Hank frowned, before turning to look at Gavin. "I'm watching you."

After he and Gavin both shoved up a middle finger in a unified crude gesture, Hank stormed back to his desk. His body language made it clear to Connor that he was far from pleased with the situation. As he observed the Lieutenant keeping a watchful eye, Connor turned back to face Gavin.

"I appreciate your restraint, Detective." Connor tried alleviating the lingering tension.

"Don't mention it." Gavin mumbled awkwardly. "We should go check on our guy."

"I agree." Connor exhaled slowly.

After a brief, but awkward silence, the two of them turned away from Gavin's desk, and headed out of the main room.

* * *

When they finally found themselves outside the main interrogation room, Connor realised he had unconsciously placed a hand on Gavin's shoulders. Noticing the slight flush on the Detective's face, he quickly stepped back, letting his hands fall back to his sides.

"I apologise if I overstepped, Detective." Connor hoped his voice sounded more confident than he felt.

Noting that Gavin still seemed incredibly on edge, Connor frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Connor enquired.

When Gavin began pacing backwards and forwards, he found himself even more confused.

"Back there…" Gavin finally spoke up, stopping in front of Connor.

"It's alright, Detective. You-" Connor started.

"I shouldn't have done that." Gavin interrupted.

When those words hit him like a sledgehammer, Connor hoped that the disappointment wasn't visible on his face. Did the Detective truly regret that moment they'd shared?

"Connor-" Gavin started, noticing Connors silence.

"It was nothing." Connor answered bluntly.

"Right. Nothing. It was nothing." Gavin exhaled slowly. "Fuck."

A moment passed in awkward silence, with the two of them unable to meet the others' gaze. The silence was almost deafening in the intense quiet, leaving Connors heartbeat increasing as he tried to wrap his mind around what Gavin had just said.

He couldn't deny how much it hurt when the Detective brushed off the moment as if it were nothing. Had he been wrong in believing they'd shared the same tender sentiment?

"Take this." Gavin shrugged off his jacket.

As the other man offered up his worn leather jacket, Connor found himself at a loss again. One moment Gavin was denying they'd just spent an entire minute staring into each other's eyes, and the next…he was offering up a piece of his own clothing.

"I already have a jacket, Detective." Connor tilted his head slightly.

"Look down." Gavin raised an eyebrow, before looking down.

Casting his own gaze downward, Connor immediately became acutely aware of the thirium staining the front of his once pristine suit. Neon blue blood had spread in gruesome splotches, crudely decorating the familiar ensemble in irregular patterns.

"Oh." Connor realised.

Somewhat nervously, Connor removed his jacket. He still wasn't sure why he'd kept the Cyberlife suit. After all, he didn't belong to them anymore. Shaking his head slightly in an attempt to calm his building nerves and racing heart, Connor placed the stained jacket on the back of a nearby chair.

Looking back at Gavin, who had a surprisingly noticeable flush on his face, Connor found himself smiling slightly- despite his inner confusion.

Exhaling slowly, he took the leather jacket from Gavin. As he slowly put the garment on, Connor became acutely aware of what Gavin had been wearing under the familiar leather.

It was a simple, long sleeved grey shirt- but it wasn't the design that attracted Connor.

No.

It was the way it was almost a size too small, enough that every line and bump of lean muscle underneath was plainly visible. The garment left little underneath to the imagination.

"You still there, dipshit?" Gavin waved a hand in front of Connor's face.

"I'm here." Connor spoke quickly, aware he'd been caught staring.

As he zipped up the leather jacket, which fit him surprisingly well, Connor cautiously adjusted the garment. Once satisfied, he looked back up at Gavin.

Who now, in turn, was staring at Connor.

Confused, Connor glanced at his reflection in the interrogation cell's window. He was almost taken aback by what he saw. Being too afraid to venture into clothes that were too unfamiliar, Connor had never really seen himself in anything other than the Cyberlife issued suit he'd been created with.

He was surprised that the garment…looked good.

Glancing back at Gavin, Connor noticed that the man was still staring, a dazed look in his eyes combining with a noticeable red flush in his cheeks.

If Gavin was staring…

Did that mean the Detective also thought Connor looked good in the leather jacket? Or was that a figure of his imagination, if that were possible, like the moment Gavin seemed to be denying?

"We need to interview him." Connor interrupted the silence, chest still aching.

"Right." Gavin slowly turned away from Connor. "Fuck."

As Gavin placed his hand on the door scanner, Connor closed his eyes for a moment. Allowing himself a moment to gather his thoughts, and steady his racing heart, he forced himself to focus.

"Hey!" Gavin's voice startled Connor. "You coming?"

"Yes." Connor spoke quickly, opening his eyes. "I'm coming."

Straightening his borrowed jacket, out of habit, Connor followed after Gavin as the man entered the interrogation cell. Almost as soon as the door opened, Connor noticed Mr Wayne's head snapping up. With the man's eyes reflecting an intense rage, Connor exchanged a concerned glance with Gavin. When the Detective nodded slightly, Connor took one of the two seats opposite Mr Wayne.

As he did so, he noticed the man shifting backwards, conveying a sense of disgust- not even showing a shred of pain from his split knuckles.

"So you really are a plastic Detective." Mr Wayne sneered.

"He's a Detective." Gavin spoke firmly. "Quit the plastic shit, asshole."

"The android-" Mr Wayne started.

"My name is Connor." Connor leaned forward. "I understand that my presence disturbs you. But I'm here to help find your son."

"I'm not talking. Not to you." Mr Wayne scoffed. "I won't talk to either of you, in fact."

"Don't you want us to find your kid?" Gavin frowned.

"I'm not saying another word. Not without my lawyer." Mr Wayne spoke smoothly. "My wife will be contacting our attorney as we speak."

"So you don't give a shit what happens?" Gavin leaned forward.

"My relationship with my son is my business." Mr Wayne remained calm.

"You know this just makes you look guilty, right, asshole?" Gavin pursued.

"Maybe." Mr Wayne smirked.

The slick and cocky attitude, combined with the lack of true emotion on the man's face, told Connor that Mr Wayne knew far more than he was letting on. That there was something deeper, like a method to the man's calm madness.

"You're hiding something." Connor leaned forward again. "And we're going to find out what it is."

"Good luck." Mr Wayne's expression darkened., "I don't think you'll find anything at the end of all this."

"We'll see about that." Gavin rose to his feet. "Prick."

When they exited the interrogation cell, an immediate sense of tension filled the air. As they came to stand on the other side of the cell's reflective window, Connor noticed the severity of the expression on Gavin's face. The anger underneath the frown went beyond a reaction to Mr Wayne's words. Something about the case seemed to have touched on a particular nerve with the Detective.

It hurt Connor, to see such a pained expression on Gavin's face.

"Are you alright, Detective?" Connor spoke up.

"That prick…" Gavin gestured to Mr Wayne, who simply sat and stared down at his hands.

"He shows no concern for his son. That seems to be causing you some distress." Connor assumed.

"He doesn't give a shit." Gavin shook his head.

"No. He doesn't." Connor agreed. "I can't understand why."

"Makes two of us." Gavin exhaled slowly.

"If they're both insistent on contacting their lawyer, it may be better for us both to move on the other victims parents." Connor tried changing the subject. "They may be able to tell us something."

Before Gavin could answer, Fowler was entering the room- expression one of exasperation and exhaustion. The man looked drained, which Connor could immediately discern as a warning.

"Other victims parents just called." Fowler moved to stand beside Connor and Gavin. "They've lawyered up. Can't get anything out of them."

"So they all know each other?" Gavin surmised.  
"Seems to be the case." Fowler confirmed.

"I couldn't find anything that indicated any association." Connor frowned.

"I know." Fowler cleared his throat. "You doing okay, Connor? Hank told me what happened."

"I'm fine, Captain." Connor smiled slightly. "I appreciate the concern, but it's really not necessary."

"Alright." Fowler glanced back at Mr Wayne before refocusing on the two young detective's.

"Think you can get us a search warrant?" Gavin questioned. "Might tell us what these assholes won't."

"You've just started the case." Fowler pointed out. "There's no evidence to suggest the parents were involved."

"But-" Gavin protested.

"We've got nothing." Fowler crossed his arms.

"So we're going in blind. Fuck." Gavin closed his eyes for a moment, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm sorry." Fowler apologised. "Look. Get me some evidence, and I might be able to convince the local magistrate to give us a warrant."

"Great." Gavin opened his eyes, rolling them dramatically.

"I wish I could do more." Fowler sighed. "You two are on your own until you can come up with something. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Captain." Connor nodded slightly.

"I just got an email from the college President." Fowler glanced down at his smartwatch. "It'll have the class schedules and all that crap. You two go on the fucking shopping trip, and I'll forward you the details."

When Captain fowler exited the door, and moved out of earshot, Gavin moved to lean back against the wall. The intense hurt in the Detective's eyes made Connors chest ache once again.

He wanted to badly to comfort Gavin, but given how he'd tried to deny the moment between them, Connor didn't want to overstep.

"Let's get the fuck out of here." Gavin straightened up.

As he clicked his knuckles again, seemingly psyching himself up somehow, Connor watched in fond fascination.

"Connor!" Gavin paused in the doorway, looking mildly pissed off. "You coming?"

"Yes." Connor spoke quickly.

Just as Gavin was turning around, Connor felt an artificial breath catch in his throat.

"I'm still wearing your jacket, Detective." Connor stumbled over his words a little. "Do you wish to-"

"Keep it on, dipshit." Gavin shook his head.

"I-" Connor started.

"Looks better on you." Gavin spoke hastily.

Stunned into silence, Connor felt his false heart race ever faster. Had the Detective just complimented him? Why would the man take the time to say those words, after seemingly being so defiant in denying the moment they'd shared?

Determined to solve the puzzle that was Gavin Reed, Connor followed after his new partner.

* * *

When they got into Gavin's car, it was Connor who finally broke the silence.

"Are you alright, Detective?" Connor questioned.

At the question, Gavin seemed to stiffen, pointedly shifting as far away from Connor as he could.

"I don't want to overstep, Detective, but I can see that you are experiencing some emotional distress." Connor continued.

"A plus, plastic." Gavin raised an eyebrow, before looking back at the road ahead.

Choosing to ignore the return of a tired insult, noting its half-heartedness, Connor spoke up again.

"If something is bothering you, it may be best to-" Connor started.

"Just…shut the fuck up." Gavin spoke through gritted teeth.

"We're going to be working this case together. We need to know things about each other to trust-" Connor pursued.

"That's the point, asshole." Gavin flexed his fingers. "You won't want to trust me if I tell you."

"I highly doubt that would be the case." Connor frowned.

"Don't." Gavin exhaled slowly, clearly attempting to reign in his anger.

"Would it help if I offered to tell you something about myself in return?" Connor questioned. "I did some research that suggested-"

"Something about you?" Gavin interrupted. "What is this shit, 20 questions?"

"If you'd like that, Detective." Connor smiled slightly.

A moment of silence passed, before the Shopping mall loomed in the distance.

"Fuck." Gavin cursed. "Alright. We get this done. We get a drink. Then you might get something from me."

"A drink? We start the case-" Connor started.

"I'm going to need a drink." Gavin remained firm, sounding tired.

"Alright, Detective." Connor smiled again.

It wasn't quite the immediate answer he had hoped for, but it was something.

"Connor?" Gavin spoke up again.

"Yes, Detective?" Connor refocused.

"Gavin. Not Detective. Got it, dipshit?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"Understood, Det-" Connor stopped himself. "Gavin."

As he said the Detective's name, Connor felt the ache in his chest return tenfold, his artificial heart racing faster than it ever had before. Such a simple word, yet it made Connor falter.

Gavin.

Connor smiled.

* * *

After being prompted by Gavin, Connor ran a quick scan of the College's website, and other clothing sites- to determine where best to start their search. By the time they pulled into the mall's parking lot, he'd run several hundred operations.

Quick scans of the most popular sites revealed that, whilst many rich students preferred to dress to impress, some went for a more relaxed fashion. There seemed to be an even mix of suits, and something labelled as 'hipster' style, another item that Connor had to quickly research.

"Where do we start?" Gavin asked as he parked the car.

"Studies indicate that some of the students adopt a more formal approach." Connor started.

"And?" Gavin pursued.

"Others seem to display a more relaxed-" Connor continued.

"Hipsters." Gavin interrupted.

"Hipsters." Connor confirmed.

"Fucking hipsters." Gavin slumped down in his seat. "Come on, Connor. Let's get this over with."

* * *

As he and Gavin wandered around the first inexplicably expensive shop they'd come across, Connor found his gaze wandering to the Detective once again. Without the jacket, Connor could see the lean muscles in Gavin's arms moving as he rifled through the racks of clothes.

As he stared unashamedly, Connor found his heart racing again- not even hindered by the look of disgust on the Detective's face as he examined the price tags. In fact, Connor found it oddly endearing.

With the other man's focus on finding the least ostensive clothing, Connor could begin to truly look at Gavin. And he would have been lying if he'd said his gaze didn't wander to the Detective's rather sculpted behind. Feeling his artificial heart pump faster, Connor exhaled slowly- before finally averting his gaze for a moment.

Though his feelings for Gavin were telling him to keep looking at who was easily the best looking man Connor had ever seen, he forced himself to focus on the armful of clothes and new shoes he now held.

Without the worries of a budget, he'd simply picked up whatever he found most pleasing. He'd never know what he truly liked until he tried some of it on, after all.

"I can't wait to be done with this shit." Gavin approached Connor, struggling with a pile of clothes and various types of shoes. "You done?"

"I think so." Connor spoke quickly, startled by the other man's quick reappearance.

When Gavin tilted his head in the direction of the changing rooms, Connor followed after him eagerly. Not only was he excited to be trying on something other than the Cyberlife suit, he was also oddly interested in what Gavin had chosen.

He knew the man would look good in whatever he wore, but his real tastes were still unknown to Connor.

"Who goes first?" Gavin prompted, when they came to stand in front of the only vacant changing room.

"First?" Connor questioned.

"Need to make sure we don't look like total assholes." Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"I see." Connor nodded. "Sorry, Det…Gavin. I've never done this before. Not really."

"Really?" Gavin seemed surprised. "Maybe it turned out better this way."

"Better?" Connor tilted his head slightly.

"Hank's fashion sense is…" Gavin paused.

"Interesting?" Connor prompted.

"You could say that." Gavin shrugged. "That settles it. You first, dipshit."

Noticing that the former insult had slowly started becoming something akin to a nickname, Connor smiled slightly- before stepping into the changing room. Surprised by the spacious cubicle, framed on all sides by gleaming mirrors, Connor haphazardly dropped the pile of clothes and shoes on the plush bench- jumping slightly as the automated door slid shut behind him and locked.

Examining the mix of colours and textures, he selected a simple change of clothes to start with- and hung them up on the gilded hooks above the bench. After quickly undressing, until he stood in nothing but his simple white boxer shorts and socks, Connor paused for a moment to examine himself in the mirror.

Shaking his head slightly, Connor swiftly dressed. For his first real change of clothes, he'd picked out a simple white t-shirt with a long sleeved sweater layered over it. The garments initially felt foreign on Connors skin, but, as he examined the stripes of neutral colours on the sweater…Connor found himself smiling.

Knowing that Gavin was waiting on the other side of the door, he stumbled around to pull on the dark grey skinny jeans he'd picked out. It was a struggle, for Connor wasn't used to anything other than the loose fitting pants of his Cyberlife suit.

But, he managed.

After slipping on the ankle boots, he examined himself in the mirror.

Connor was stunned. It was such a drastic change to the almost clinical appearance of his old suit. But, Connor reminded himself, it was a positive change. The human clothes made him look more alive than ever. Which only served to make Connor smile wider.

Shaking his head slightly, Connor pulled out a simple necklace and soft, dark brown beanie out of the pile of clothing. After gently pulling the final two pieces on, and adjusting the beanie, Connor exhaled slowly.

When he turned, and let a hand hover near the door, it slid open automatically. Leaving Connor face to face with Gavin again.

The reaction was immediate. A noticeably red flush crossed onto Gavin's face, as the Detective dropped his entire pile of clothes and shoes unceremoniously.

"Fuck." Gavin shook his head slightly, before ducking down.

Crouching down as well, Connor helped Gavin bring the pile into a neater, more manageable state. Just as they reached for the final shirt, their hands brushed against one another's. It was like one of those old romance movies Connor had convinced Hank to watch when the Lieutenant went down with the flu a few weeks back.

When they both looked up, their eyes locked again…

And they found themselves unable to look away.

For one, perfect moment.

All too quickly, Gavin snatched his hand away, before hastily gathering up the clothes. As the Detective rose to his feet, Connor followed suit- clearing his throat awkwardly as he straightened up to his full height.

"How do I look?" Connor glanced downward as he slowly turned in a full circle, wringing his hands together nervously.

"Good. Really, Connor." Gavin also cleared his throat. "Not bad."

The compliment may have been spoken with a nervous voice, influenced by a blush on the other man's face, but it was a genuine compliment nonetheless. As he came to face Gavin again, Connor found a smile creeping onto his own face once more.

"Would it be best if I tried on something else?" Connor questioned.

"We've got time." Gavin shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant.

After a considerable amount of time, Connor had made his way through the entire pile of clothes, accessories, and shoes that he'd picked up. Choosing to change back into the first outfit he'd tried on, as opposed to his Cyberlife suit, he headed for the checkout-glancing backwards momentarily to watch Gavin entering the changing cubicle.

Opting to choose the android at the registers, who also wore human clothes instead of a familiar white uniform, Connor waited patiently as she scanned his items- before handing over the card that Fowler had passed on to him. Once the transaction was complete, Connor pocketed the card.

Smiling slightly again, Connor gratefully picked up the innumerable amount of gleaming shopping bags. Quickly returning to standing by the changing stall that Gavin was occupying, Connor placed the bags on the ground.

Not wanting to miss whatever the Detective chose to change into first, he quickly reached round to remove all the tags on his clothes and boots.

Chucking them into one of the bags, Connor folded his arms- waiting nervously.

When the door finally slid open, it was Connors turn to look shocked. Finding his chest aching again, he looked Gavin up and down, studying the man with renewed interest. Contrasting with his usual choice of rugged clothing, he had picked out something Connor would never have suspected.

The outfit Gavin wore was comprised of a white v necked t-shirt underneath a long sleeved, dark blue blazer- coupled with dark grey jeans not dissimilar to Connors…and some tasteful combat style boots a few shades darker than the tailored blazer.

The outfit was finished off with some modern sunshades in the shape of popular hipster glasses.

"Well?" Gavin prompted, crossing his arms.

"I…" Connor cleared his throat once more. "It looks good. And…I mean that."

"Really?" Gavin pursued.

"I don't lie." Connor answered sincerely. "My programming-"

"I got it, dipshit." Gavin interrupted "Thanks…Connor."

As Gavin turned away, face flushing red again, Connor found the smile on his own face spreading wider. When the changing cubicle door slid shut again, he let out an artificial breath he didn't even realise he had been holding in. Still reeling from seeing Gavin in such a different state, Connor exhaled slowly.

And he became acutely aware of something.

Gavin had rendered Connor speechless.

* * *

After they'd used the card to pay for Gavin's new set of clothes, Connor had been forced to run after the Detective- the man couldn't get out of the uptight store fast enough. Shaking his head fondly, Connor followed after Gavin, soon coming to walk beside him as they made their way back to the car.

As they stood side by side, unloading their shopping bags into the old vehicle's trunk, Gavin turned to look at Connor. Before he could even begin to question the nervous hurt in the Detective's eyes, the other man was looking away again.

Frowning, at the drastic change in mood, and with his own heart pounding again, Connor decided to speak up.

"Is everything alright?" Connor questioned.

"I need a drink." Gavin answered bluntly, before shoving the rest of their bags in the trunk.

Darting backwards as the Detective slammed the trunk shut, Connor blinked rapidly. Something was clearly on Gavin's mind, and Connor quickly surmised it had something to do with the '20 questions' he'd proposed on the journey over.

"Connor!" Gavin called from inside the car, startling Connor. "Let's get a fucking move on."

"I'm coming!" Connor spoke quickly.

As he entered the car, Connor was surprised to see Gavin's hands visibly shaking. Concerned, chest aching for the man's pain, Connor gently closed the car door on his side.

"You don't have to-" Connor started.

"I've got some booze back at my apartment." Gavin interrupted. "We go there, I get drunk, and then we can talk."

"I'm not certain getting drunk would benefit your emotional state." Connor spoke gently. "And we have a case-"

"You're probably right." Gavin interrupted again, raising an eyebrow. "But that won't stop me."

* * *

The ride to Gavin's apartment was so quiet and full of tension that Connor was almost relieved when the Detective finally pulled the car into the parking lot. Mindful of the fact that Gavin's hands were still shaking, betraying how nervous the other man truly was, Connor remained silent as they slowly got out of the car. Knowing that the peace was fragile, he kept quiet, even as they took hold of their shopping bags.

Even though it hurt Connor to see Gavin's hands trembling so much he struggled to lock the car, he kept up the silence. Whatever Gavin intended to tell him was clearly at the forefront of the Detective's mind.

Following after Gavin, Connor forced himself not to focus on the Detective's behind, even if it was showing more than usual through the skinny jeans the other man had decided to keep on.

Shaking his head a little in an effort to clear his thoughts, Connor picked up the pace to keep up with Gavin, as the man entered the closest elevator.

The next few moments were spent in agonising tension, not alleviated in the slightest by the low hum of typical elevator music. Just as the tension was becoming so thick and palpable that Connor could almost swore he felt it on his skin, the doors pinged open again.

As Gavin made a dash for his apartment door at the end of the hall, Connor struggled to keep up, stumbling slightly as he moved quickly.

As soon as they entered Gavin's apartment, the Detective cast his shopping bags aside, leaving them in a heap by the doorway that Connor narrowly avoided tripping over.

Frowning at the other man's increasing nerves, he gently stepped over the pile- placing his own bags down before turning to gently shut the door.

By the time he'd found Gavin in the apartments' surprisingly generous kitchen, the Detective was already taking a large swig from a crystalline bottle of Amber coloured liquid.

Just as Connor was opening his mouth to speak, concerned with the speed at which the other man was drinking, Gavin stopped to catch his breath.

As he slammed the bottle down on the closest countertop, Gavin exhaled slowly.

"If talking-" Connor started.

"Shut up, dipshit." Gavin interrupted, as he turned to look at Connor properly.

"Alright." Connor spoke gently.

"You're going to-" Gavin took a deep breath. "What I've got to say is…"

"Gavin…" Connor took a single, cautious step forward.

"Shut up. Just...shut the fuck up." Gavin cleared his throat. "Alright. You're going to hate me…again-"

"I highly doubt that would be the-" Connor tried diffusing the tension.

"Just let me talk, dipshit." Gavin spoke firmly, eyes glistening.

Heart pounding ever faster, Connor nodded slightly, before taking a step back to give the Detective a little more space to breathe- even though it made his chest ache to move further apart.

"When Fowler stuck you with the deviancy case…" Gavin exhaled slowly once more. "He told me you met Kamski."

"We did have the chance to meet him personally." Connor confirmed. "I thought he may have had some information that could help us solve the case."

"What happened? At Kamski's?" Gavin pursued.

Unsure as to why the conversation had been turned on him, Connor frowned.

"We spoke briefly." Connor crossed his arms, and leant against the doorway in an effort to appear casual.

Though it unnerved him to recall the myriad of emotions he'd felt at Kamski's, Connor knew that he had to talk.

It was clear that whatever Gavin needed to get off his chest was related, in some way.

"He seemed to have a fascination with philosophy." Connor continued. "Particularly surrounding androids."

When Gavin scoffed incredulously, taking another swig of the bottle before placing it down again, Connor gave it a moment before continuing.

"Then he asked me to participate in something he called the Kamski Test." Connor carried on.

"The Kamski Test?" Gavin frowned.

"He expressed a desire to discover whether or not androids were capable of empathy." it was Connors turn to exhale slowly.

The motion was ineffective, as always, but it helped to calm his nerves. Somewhat.

"Kamski brought out a gun." Connor continued. "He told me that if I executed one of his androids, he'd tell me whatever I needed to know.

"Fuck." Gavin cursed loudly, crossing his arms as he began tapping his foot. "That asshole always did have a God complex."

"Kamski told me he wished to see which was more important to me…" Connor closed his eyes for a moment to allow himself to focus, before opening them again. "My mission, or the life of his android."

"So what did you choose, Connor?" Gavin questioned.

"I chose not to shoot." Connor answered. "I gave him back the gun, and Lieutenant Anderson escorted me out."

Connor chose not to mention Kamski's warning about placing an emergency exit in his programs, as he knew he wasn't quite ready to recall the harrowing experience that had resulted not long after.

"Made the right choice." Gavin's voice interrupted Connors thoughts.

"If I may, Det-" Connor paused. "Gavin. Why does the mention of Kamski's name cause you distress?"

"Because he…" Gavin cleared his throat.

Another moment passed in tense silence, before the Detective spoke again.

"Fuck it." Gavin threw his arms up in the air for a moment, before letting them fall limply to his sides. "That prick…was my brother."


	4. Tension

**Sorry it's been so long since the last update everyone.**

This particular part has been giving me alot of trouble- I've done over 8 versions of it and I'm still worried about the quality.

 _But this version is the one I feel best about, so I'm rolling with it._

 **It may feel like Gavin is holding back, but that's the point. It wouldn't be realistic for him to tell every detail of his life story 1 day into their friendship.**

You'll learn more in the next few chapters.

 _Thank you all immensely for all the support so far. It's been a pleasure writing for you all._

 **I'd like to thank narcophilia, missnowhereteen, and dipdopofthedip for being there when I got stuck and just genuinely being awesome.**

Shout out to everyone on the Convin discord for being amazingly supportive as well.

 _I also appreciate everyone who has messaged me on tumblr telling me how much they like LIL. Means alot._

 **Yes, Connor can eat and drink for the sake of this fic. Let's just say it all gets converted into energy or something. Idk. I needed this because of reasons.**

Don't question it. Please. Its midnight and I'm tired.

 _There's alot of dialogue in this chapter. I'm not exaggerating. It's 70% dialogue. Sorry. Had to get alot of buildup out of the way so we can move the plot along._

 **Shouldn't be too long before the next update! I'll try not to leave it nearly 2 months next time! (so sorry)**

(See the end of the work for another authors note.)

 **Chapter Summary:**

After the revelation of who Gavin was related to, Connor wasn't sure if the Detective could surprise him any more than he already had.

He was wrong.

But being wrong had never felt so good.

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

As the words exited Gavin's mouth, shaky and full of angry vitriol, Connor felt the world around him stop. He'd anticipated that whatever the Detective meant to say to him was important- that much was obvious, given the man's silent tension on the way to his apartment.

But Connor could never have imagined the revelation he'd be hearing. How could he? How could he have ever predicted the secret that Gavin was hiding? To know that the Detective was related to Kamski, whose brilliant mind had created Connor, would have been shocking in and of itself.

But to know they were brothers? That added an entirely new layer to the mind numbing reveal- making Connors head spin. Finding himself at a loss for words, Connor stumbled back slightly- though he somehow managed to quickly right himself by grabbing onto the closest counter.

Finding his artificial breaths coming out wheezing and raspy, quickening like his thumping heart, Connor struggled to wrap his mind around what he had just heard.

"Connor?" Gavin's voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.

Though his mind was still a labyrinth of building questions, and he could feel his artificial heart pumping faster than he'd ever felt it, Connor forced himself to look up- to look into Gavin's eyes.

He found himself, again, speechless at what he saw. The man's eyes were bloodshot, and red with unshed tears- the watery glaze to the normally shining eyes betraying the layers of emotion beneath Gavin's stony expression.

It was clear that simply getting the revelation off his chest had done little to dampen the Detective's nerves. Nor had it helped his increasingly emotional state.

It hurt Connor, to see the man he'd fallen for in such a bad way- so deeply he'd likely never be able to fully communicate the emotion. It was almost alien, seeing the man so vulnerable.

"Elijah Kamski…is your brother?" Connor managed to speak, after a few moments.

A few moments passed in increasingly tense silence, before Gavin shook his head, scoffing at the mere mention of his relation to Kamski. The reaction spoke volumes, more than any words ever could.

As the man's expression warped into one of intense disgust, Connor also became acutely aware of the tremble that remained in the Detective's hands. He wasn't sure if it was the pressure of what he'd just told Connor, the alcohol he'd been almost chugging…or a lethal combination of the two.

Either way, it concerned Connor- enough that he managed to shake himself out of his stupor and take a cautious step back towards Gavin.

"You say he was your brother. You refer to your relationship in the past tense. Is there a reason behind that?" Connor questioned gently.

"Shit happened. We used to be close, but when it came down to it, he wasn't there when I needed him." Gavin explained.

"When you needed him. What...happened?" Connor gently prompted.

"Why the fuck do you care?" Gavin frowned.

"I-" Connor started, stunned.

"Sorry, Connor." Gavin interrupted, apologising. "Long story."

"I've got time." Connor spoke sincerely.

"Maybe. But I don't think I want to give out the details of my tragic backstory." Gavin admitted. "Not yet, anyway."

"I understand." Connor smiled slightly. "I appreciate your honesty, Detective-"

"Gavin." Gavin corrected.

"Gavin." Connor repeated. "I'm surprised that you've told me of your relation to Kamski."

"I don't go throwing that shit at just anyone, dipshit." Gavin took another gulp of alcohol. "But since we're stuck working this case…figured you should know."

"I understand." Connor paused. "Gavin, is your relation to my creator the reason behind your hostility?"

"Main reason." Gavin shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant.

"There's more than one?" Connor was surprised.

"Other reason…I guess I felt threatened." Gavin admitted.

"Threatened…" Connor thought for a moment. "Were you concerned that I would replace you?"

"A plus, Connor." Gavin attempted to lighten the mood.

"Many humans still feel the same way. I understand." Connor relaxed slightly at the change in mood.

"I've always been stuck in my asshole twin's shadow. Becoming Detective was my way out." Gavin explained further. "Then you came along, and I felt like I was right back there."

Shocked, both by the added underlying reveal of Kamski and Gavin being twin brothers, and by his honest words…Connor struggled to force his voice processor's to work. Gavin being related to Kamski was one thing. The two of them being brothers was another.

Twins? That was a matter altogether different. How had he not suspected it? Even if they were non-identical, as they likely were, he should have picked up on the relation. Why had he not realised that?

"Gavin-" Connor started.

"Not an excuse. I was an asshole." Gavin interrupted. "But I figured I owed you a reason."

"I appreciate that. I'm pleased you were able to…move past that." Connor smiled genuinely. "It'll make life easier for both of us."

"I'm still going to need more to drink." Gavin smirked, before sidestepping Connor to get out of the kitchen. "Come on, dipshit."

As he followed after Gavin, his thirium pump beating so loudly he could almost swore he heard it in the depths of his processors, Connor did his best to focus on the Detective- as he glanced back every so often. Knowing that Gavin had opened up to him, though ever so slightly, made the ache in Connors chest grow tenfold. Momentarily distracted by the Detective opening up a polished door, Connor found his eyes wandering lower again.

Though he did his utmost to keep their gaze above Gavin's waist, Connor couldn't control his eyes any longer when they landed again on the man's sculpted behind. He'd unashamedly stared at it many times before, but without the fear of interruption, Connor found himself taking in every single detail. Gavin's rear was surprisingly full- only emphasized by his newly chosen outfit.

It was increasingly clear to Connor that the Detective took care of his body-and that clearly attributed to the confidence that the man radiated whenever he walked into a room.

Though many mistook that confidence for arrogance.

Just as he heard the door swinging open, Connor quickly averted his eyes, his gaze meeting Gavin's as the other man turned around.

"Should've asked you this before but…can you drink?" Gavin glanced down at the bottle of alcohol in his hand.

"Gavin?" Connor was confused by the random question.

"I know Cyberlife released that update for food and shit. Wasn't sure if-" Gavin started.

"I accepted the update. As an advanced prototype, I can adapt quickly to any-" Connor started.

"So you can drink?" Gavin interrupted.

"Yes…" Connor frowned. "But since I've been trying to help Lieutenant Anderson, I haven't-"

"Haven't tried it?" Gavin assumed.

"No." Connor answered simply.

"Do you want to?" Gavin frowned.

"I'm not opposed to-" Connor started.

"Good. Not so fun drinking alone." Gavin interrupted, as he edged past Connor. "Take a seat."

Nodding slightly, Connor stepped into the living room. It was a surprisingly large area, and decorated in a similar way to the other rooms he'd glanced on his way in- sleek and modern. It was somewhat reminiscent of Elijah Kamski's place in decor, but different in so many ways.

The large TV was mounted on the wall furthest from Connor, flanked on either side with two colossal glass display cases full of intricately crafted figurines and statues.

Each piece was as pristine as the rest of the room, though it somehow still managed to look welcoming. Lived-in. Beneath the TV was a matching glass set of shelves, each bearing several games consoles and an array of Videogames.

On the other walls were dozens of framed photos in all different sizes, pictures of Gavin and several other officers Connor recognised from the station. Officer Tina Chen and Officer Chris Miller, though they all looked markedly younger in a majority of the photos.

Most scenes seemed to depict the group dancing, drinking, laughing…or a mix of the three. It was evident by the warmth in their smiles that their friendship had existed for a long time…and that the friendship was genuine.

It brought a smile to Connors own face, seeing Gavin so happy in all of them. The slight messiness to the man's hair, coupled with a loosened uniform shirt in some photos, made the ache in Connors chest grow again.

Though not as much as the one of him holding up a newborn baby next to Chris and a woman Connor didn't recognise- though it only took one quick scan to reveal her as Chris' wife.

Connor found himself smiling again.

He'd never seen Gavin so relaxed before.

And it seemed as if the photo was taken some time ago.

Connor hoped he'd have the opportunity to see that carefree Gavin soon.

Still looking around the room, now able to spot several medals and framed letters of commendation, Connor soon became aware of the fact that there were no family photos on the wall.

After the revelation of Kamski being Gavin's twin brother, and the tone of Gavin's words, Connor had fully expected to see no trace of Elijah…but for no other family members to be on there?

Well, that told a heartbreaking tale without the need for words. It suddenly made Connor anxious for what Gavin had held back from telling him. Knowing he'd disowned his own brother was bad enough…but the possibility that the Detective had distanced himself from his family entirely? That terrified Connor. How much pain could one man experience?

Shaking his head slightly, and being mindful of the slick wooden coffee table, Connor took a seat in the far right corner of the surprisingly plush couch…momentarily admiring the sleek black leather as he leant backwards.

Wanting to appear as casual and relaxed as possible- for Gavin's sake as much as his own- Connor sat with his right arm leaning on the comfortable armrest…and his free arm relaxing at his side.

In a more relaxed position, Connor examined the room one last time, and found numerous posters in polished frames tucked into what little space remained- leaving very little of the original painted walls exposed.

Some posters were of various Videogames, whereas some were of movies and concerts, many so old they had almost frayed edges underneath their shields of glass.

Signatures on a few of the items revealed that Gavin had a vested interest in those subjects.

Connor smiled.

Little by little, he was learning more about his new partner.

He hoped to be able to ask Gavin more about those interests, as their relationship evolved.

When Gavin entered the room again, Connor forced himself to focus on the Detective's face. Instantly, his concern skyrocketed- the man was pale, and his hands were shaking as he balanced two crystalline cups with the bottle of alcohol.

"Are you alright, Gavin?" Connor questioned as the man carefully placed the two glasses on the coffee table.

"I will be when I've had more to drink." Gavin sat down on the edge at the opposite end of the couch with the alcohol. "Sure you want to join me, dipshit?"

"I'm sure." Connor found himself smiling slightly again.

Seemingly encouraged by the smile, Gavin quickly moved to pouring out the alcohol- the motion giving Connor time to scan it's contents. He'd had some liquor with Hank before, but something told him that Gavin would have a markedly different taste. Connor was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a litre bottle of...

 _'Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey. A warm amber colour. Smooth, full bodied. Flavours of orange, brown sugar and spice. With a rich long finish. 2,180 calories'._

It was a step up from the cheap beers and vodkas that Hank was oddly fond of.

"Ever had whisky?" Gavin prompted, as he finished pouring out full glasses.

"No. Lieutenant Anderson prefers vodka or…beer." Connor answered. "I've never tried either of those…"

"This is better." Gavin gingerly handed Connor one of the glasses.

As he reached for the glass, Connor felt their fingers brush together again, not unlike when they'd shared a moment in the midst of clothes shopping earlier that very same day.

Liking the feeling of the Detective's long, slightly roughened fingers, Connor found himself deliberately letting his own fingertips linger- watching Gavin's face gradually grow redder as he leaned his hand into the Detective's.

Noticing the lack of response from the other man, Connor cautiously interlaced their fingers, mindful not to let the glass fall- as he leaned forward.

With their faces now mere inches apart, Connor took the opportunity to examine Gavin again, thirium pump racing as he dared move in closer. Examining the Detective's face, knowing that they were free of any possible interruptions, Connor saw more of the man's face than he could ever have dreamed possible.

Beyond Gavin's noticeable nose scar, and grey eyes oddly reminiscent of starlight, there was several other markings- a small scar in the crease of the Detective's eyebrow…and in the upper right corner of his lips.

Lips that quirked upward in a curious smile as Connor continued his…investigation.

Just as he was focusing on the pinkish tint to Gavin's lips, and wondering if they truly were as soft as they looked, Connor found himself confused as Gavin leant backwards. The sudden motion puzzled him.

"Not bad, Connor." Gavin smirked confidently, a slight blush to his face.

"Gavin?" Connor felt the ache in his chest return tenfold.

As he took in his own words, Gavin seemed to grow even redder in pallor- before clearing his throat in an attempt to alleviate the odd tension rising in the room.

"Moving on." Gavin spoke quickly.

After a moment of somewhat awkward silence, with him observing that the Detective was waiting with his own drink in hand, Connor soon realised that Gavin was anticipating his reaction- somewhat nervously.

Not wanting to be rude or keep the man waiting, no matter how much he wanted to feel Gavin's skin against his again, Connor slowly raised the cup. Sparing a moment to admire the crystalline embellishments on the glass, Connor exhaled- before bringing the cup to his lips.

The taste was much like his analysis had described…yet somehow different. It had a noticeably stronger taste than beer, but with a smooth…bittersweet taste that wasn't at all unpleasant.

Admiring Gavin's taste, Connor slowly downed the drink, before lowering the cup down into his lap- taking a more relaxed posture once again.

"Don't keep me in suspense, Connor." Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"It was…surprisingly pleasant." Connor answered.

"Good." Gavin downed his own drink, though with a faster and more practiced ease. "You've got good taste."

"Thank you, Detect-" Connor noticed the look on Gavin's face. "Gavin."

"Want some more?" Gavin held out the bottle with his free hand.

"I'm not sure that would be the best idea." Connor frowned.

"Come on, Connor." Gavin pushed the bottle a bit closer.

"We start the case-" Connor started.

"Drink. I know I need one." Gavin frowned. "I'm not going to force you though, dipshit."

"I appreciate that." Connor smiled. "I'll have one more, if you don't mind."

Smiling slightly, Gavin held out the whiskey bottle, before carefully pouring out a double shot for Connor. Watching the man's every movement, Connor almost found himself getting lost in the Detective's eyes again…only to be interrupted as Gavin turned and poured himself another drink.

"So, Connor. What's our cover?" Gavin spoke up.

"Cover? For the case?" Connor assumed.

"Yes, dipshit." Gavin sipped his whiskey. "For the case."

"We should aim to stick to the truth wherever possible. It'll make it easier to maintain our cover." Connor started.

"Alright." Gavin thought for a moment. "Same first names?"

"That could work." Connor agreed. "In those files Captain Fowler sent us, he mentioned the College president would give us both a last name."

"One less thing to worry about." Gavin shrugged.

"What about our relationship?" Connor continued.

When Gavin almost choked on his mouthful of whiskey, it took all of Connors willpower not to laugh. The look of bewilderment on the Detective's face was unlike any expression he'd ever seen.

"What about it, dipshit?" Gavin broke the silence, as he tried to appear calm.

"An apartment is being provided for us. As we'll be living together for the duration of the case, we should be prepared for any questions we might encounter." Connor explained, smiling slightly.

"So…friends?" Gavin suggested quietly.

"Friends?" Connor tilted his head slightly.

"Said to stick to the truth whenever we could, right?" Gavin answered.

"Right." Connor had another sip of whiskey.

Though the casual nature of their relationship, both real and fictional, somewhat disappointed Connor…he couldn't deny that it was a significant improvement. He and Gavin were no longer at each other's throats…and any remaining barriers were slowly being chipped away.

"So we...went to the same high school?" Gavin prompted, shaking Connor out of his thoughts.

"Private School would suit our cover better. The College we'll be attending-" Connor started.

"Is full of rich assholes." Gavin shook his head as he finished his glass of whiskey. "I remember."

"If I recall correctly, the messages from Captain Fowler suggested that the President of the College would be willing to fill in our false records." Connor continued.

"So we're ready to go?" Gavin frowned.

"Not quite. We should take the opportunity to discuss what we know about the case." Connor suggested.

"Isn't much to talk about, dipshit. Kids didn't know each other well, no traces, no witnesses." Gavin shook his head bitterly. "Parents aren't going to be any help."

"That's where we should be focusing." Connor insisted.

"Good point." Gavin reached for the bottle of whiskey again, before pouring himself out another glassful. "Another drink?"

"Gavin-" Connor looked down at his nearly empty glass, before looking back up. "Alright."

"I'm not forcing you, Connor." Gavin looked amused.

"I know." Connor smiled.

"Good." Gavin poured Connor another glass, before placing the bottle back down. "Where the fuck were we?"

"The parents." Connor reminded him. "They were unwilling to help with the case."

"Fucking understatement." Gavin sipped his whiskey. "Pricks."

"Mr Wayne said 'Good luck. I don't think you'll find anything at the end of all this'." Connor echoed the man's words. "That statement implies that he may have been involved…or that he knows something that could be critical to our investigation."

"Even without saying that, something about him…" Gavin shivered slightly.

"Doesn't seem right?" Connor assumed.

"Yeah." Gavin nodded. "Something's making me think, Connor."

"Yes?" Connor took another sip of his whiskey.

"If the parents don't give a shit…" Gavin started. "Why does the college President care?"

"I…don't know." Connor was stunned. "I hadn't thought about that."

"And that butler let us in when I said we were on the case. Pretty fucking weird." Gavin pointed out.

"That was…" Connor frowned. "Something's not right."

"Think we already figured that out, Connor." Gavin quickly drank the rest of the whiskey in his glass.

"We should be careful what we discuss with the college President." Connor suggested. "This whole case…"

"Feels like a fucking trap." Gavin concluded.

"I agree." Connor frowned.

"Fowler obviously thinks there's something to it. Or he wouldn't send us in." Gavin spoke up again.

"Obviously." Connor repeated.

"Just need to keep our guard up…" Gavin paused, before a smirk formed on his face. "Watch each others' backs."

"I can do that." Connor mimicked Gavin's expression.

When the Detective flushed red again, indicating that his expression had elicited the correct response, Connor hid another smile, by finishing what remained of the whiskey in his glass. As he did so, the odd tension in the room skyrocketed- only aided by the way their eyes locked together.

Almost as soon as he'd emptied the cup, Connor noticed Gavin standing up- discarding his own glass on the coffee table. Confused, he watched in silence- given a moment to admire the man's behind before he turned and walked out of the door.

Within a few moments, the Detective quickly returned, with a fresh bottle of whiskey in tow- identical to the first.

"Almost out." Gavin gestured to the nearly empty bottle as he sat back down.

"Should we be drinking so much before we start our case?" Connor questioned.

"Come on, Connor. Once we start we might not get another chance to do this." Gavin edged closer, opening the new bottle.

"What are we doing, Gavin?" Connor questioned.

"Drinking." Gavin frowned.

"I know that." Connor continued.

"Suppose we could do some kind of drinking game. Haven't done that in a while." Gavin shrugged.

"Like what?" Connor was intrigued.

"Never have I ever? It's stupid, but it's better than drinking in silence like assholes." Gavin suggested.

"What are the rules?" Connor edged closer.

"Don't have that in your program?" Gavin tilted his head slightly.

"Whilst I was designed to work harmoniously with humans, I was never programmed to respond to this type of situation. This was before the update. I imagine more would be included, were Cyberlife to create another model." Connor explained.

"Another-" Gavin shook his head. "Right. I'll give you an example. I'd say something like 'Never have I ever had too much to drink'. If you've done that, you take a shot. Then it'd be your turn. Got it, dipshit?"

"I believe so. Should I start?" Connor was oddly nervous.

"Be my guest." Gavin shrugged.

"Never have I ever…" Connor paused.

"Something wrong?" Gavin pursued.

"I'm not sure what I should say." Connor frowned.

"Just say anything." Gavin leaned back against the sofa.

"Maybe it would be better if we just asked each other questions." Connor suggested.

"Works for me." Gavin nodded, before taking a sip of his drink. "Go ahead."

"You told me you're related to Elijah Kamski. I believe it's your turn to ask something of me." Connor smiled slightly, before downing some of his own drink. "I'm an open book…or computer, as the case may be."

"Smartass." Gavin leaned forward. "Alright. Uh…what was your first case?"

"It was on August 15th, 2038." Connor started. "I was sent in as a hostage negotiator. A deviant was threatening to jump off the roof with a little girl. I managed to save her."

"I remember that. Was all over the fucking news. That was you?" Gavin looked surprised.

"It was." Connor answered simply, taking another sip of whiskey.

"Not bad." Gavin seemed impressed. "Guess it's my turn. Go ahead, ask me something."

"What was your first case?" Connor turned the conversation around.

"As a Detective?" Gavin frowned.

"If you like." Connor smiled.

"Alright." Gavin cleared his throat, taking a moment to have some of his own drink. "Shipment of androids went missing. Couple of people got hurt in the process. Tracked it down to a Red Ice operation."

"Which you successfully dismantled." Connor assumed.

"Took my first bullet, but still managed." Gavin shrugged.

"You got shot?" Connor was surprised.

"I did. Didn't catch anything important, but it fucking hurt." Gavin explained further.

"I can imagine that." Connor sympathised.

"You've been shot?" Gavin seemed intrigued.

"During the hostage situation. When I came out onto the roof, the deviant shot me. The bullet damaged the biocomponents in my left shoulder." Connor answered.

"And you felt it?" Gavin frowned.

"Aman-" Connor paused. "The humans working at Cyberlife told me I was able to feel pain, but I'd never had a chance to experience it."

"I knew that asshole breaking your nose did some damage…didn't think the pain went that far back." Gavin frowned once more, taking another sip of his drink. "Thought androids couldn't feel pain?"

"Most are unable to process it. As an advanced prototype, I was able to be fitted with additional sensors." Connor explained in detail.

"Why?" Gavin looked confused.

"They programmed me to work harmoniously with humans. My ability to feel pain was likely added to further facilitate my integration." Connor answered, downing more of his own glass.

"Don't talk like that, dipshit." Gavin shook his head.

"I'm not certain I understand-" Connor was puzzled.

"Don't talk like you're just some machine, Connor." Gavin edged closer.

"Although I have become deviant, I am still a machine. I'm not human." Connor was surprised by Gavin's words.

"Maybe not. But you're still alive, dipshit." Gavin spoke irritably.

Frozen in shock, Connor felt his chest ache harder- as he played the Detective's words over and over in his head. He'd heard a similar sentiment in many conversations with Hank, but the way Gavin said it seemed…different.

The tenderness and sincerity behind the words went against everything he'd ever heard from the Detective.

"I…" Connor struggled to piece together a coherent sentence. "Thank you, Gavin."

"Should've realised it a long time ago." Gavin flushed slightly red.

Another silent moment passed, the strange tension in the room growing thick and palpable- before either of them found the courage to speak up once more.

"Got another question for me, Connor?" Gavin took another sip of whiskey.

"Maybe…" Connor shook his head slightly to clear his mind. "I…scanned you when we first met. I didn't see anything in your records indicating that you had any living relatives."

"That's a serious question." Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"If you prefer, I could ask about something else. I didn't mean to-" Connor started.

"It's fine." Gavin made a casual gesture with his free hand, indicating no anger. "You know I changed my name. Just got my records sealed. Fresh start."

"Is anyone else at the precinct aware of your-" Connor began again.

"No." Gavin interrupted again.

"I'm the only you've-" Connor let his voice tail off.

"Don't let it go to your head." Gavin joked. "Think we can change the subject?"

"Of course." Connor smiled. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me, Detective?"

"Let me think…" Gavin thought for a moment. "What do you like?"

"What do I like?" Connor repeated, unsure.

"Movies. Music. Pets. Shit like that." Gavin explained.

"Oh." Connor took a moment to think. "I like dogs."

"I know." Gavin smiled slightly. "You keep a picture of one on your desk."

"You've noticed?" Connor smiled again. "That's Sumo. He belongs to Hank."

"Cute dog." Gavin nodded. "Anderson picked a good one. What else, Connor?"

"I've only recently started listening to music, as such. Lieutenant Anderson played some records. I was able to find out what I liked." Connor answered. "I like many different kinds of music...but I've discovered I prefer music from one particular artist."

"And…?" Gavin prompted.

"Frank Sinatra. I find his music has a…pleasant energy." Connor explained.

"Good choice." Gavin downed another gulp of whiskey. "Not bad."

At the Detective's seal of approval, Connor felt the ache in his chest grow again…ever so slightly.

"What about you, Gavin?" Connor enquired. "I can see alot of posters, but you must have a favorite."

"Queen." Gavin answered simply.

"Queen." Connor repeated.

"Greatest band of all time." Gavin spoke enthusiastically. "So we've covered music. What about movies?"

"Hank has shown me many of his favourites." Connor started. "I prefer horror."

"Horror." Gavin seemed surprised.

"I can appreciate the suspense in the more well known titles…" Connor began.

"But you also love a cheesy slasher flick." Gavin assumed.

"Correct." Connor finished up his glass of whiskey. "I'm not opposed to those featuring the undead, either."

"Zombie movies are the shit." Gavin agreed. "Ever seen Dawn of the Dead?"

"I don't believe I have. I've been trying to catch up on-" Connor started.

"We're watching it." Gavin interrupted again.

"I'm sorry?" Connor was slightly puzzled.

"The original is a fucking classic, but the reboot is so much better." Gavin spoke enthusiastically .

"We have the case-" Connor protested.

"Come on. One night before we go down the rabbit hole, Connor." Gavin leaned forward.

"Alright." Connor found himself smiling again.

Triumphantly, Gavin leaned forward- before reaching a hand down under the coffee table. Retrieving a slim tablet, he quickly returned to sitting at Connors side. As the Detective waited for the device to switch on, Connor chose to observe- unable to deny how his thirium pump raced faster at the prospect of watching a movie with Gavin.

It was something so simple, but the idea alone made Connors mind whirr.

"We're going to need takeout." Gavin spoke up, placing his empty glass down on the coffee table, before returning his full attention to the tablet. "What are we in for, Connor?"

"Takeout?" Connor frowned.

"We're into our second bottle of whiskey, dipshit. If we don't eat something…let's just say I'm not up to having to clean anything off this couch." Gavin explained. "Got it?"

"Yes." Connor answered simply. "What would you like to eat?"

"Should be me asking that." Gavin shook his head. "Got anything you like?"

"Pizza." Connor spoke quickly.

"I can work with that." Gavin agreed. "Got a preference?"

"Pepperoni." Connor answered.

"A classic. Alright. I'll get it." Gavin tapped on the tablet.

"I can-" Connor protested.

"I got it." Gavin spoke firmly.

"Gavin-" Connor protested again.

"You can get the next one." Gavin shrugged.

"The next one…" Connor repeated. "We'll be doing this again, Gavin?"

"Don't read too much into it, dipshit." Gavin flushed slightly red again.

"Whatever you say, **Detective**." Connor smiled innocently.

Deliberately emphasising Gavin's title, Connor watched in satisfied silence, as the man's face flushed red again. Amused, Connor observed as the Detective struggled to string together a coherent sentence- before clearing his throat in an attempt to regain control.

"Thirty minutes." Gavin focused on his tablet.

"Thirty minutes?" Connor repeated, a little confused.

"For the pizza." Gavin answered.

"Oh. Of course." Connor realised.

"We've got time to kill." Gavin pointed out. "What do we do?"

"I can think of...a few things…" Connor deliberately let his voice tail off suggestively.

"Like what?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"Gavin-" Connor paused.

Connor found himself unable to continue, as his vision suddenly began to warp and blur- until the room almost seemed to spin around him. Confused, he went to speak- only to find himself unable to. The alcohol, it seemed, had finally begun to settle in to his systems.

Though he knew the amount he consumed wasn't a large amount by any means, he'd failed to factor in that it was his first drink- and that his systems were not used to the foreign sensations associated with alcohol consumption.

"Connor?" Gavin moved closer, looking concerned.

"I'm alright." Connor finally managed to speak up.

"Sure about that?" Gavin questioned.

"The whiskey has begun to affect my systems." Connor answered.

"Maybe you should stop-" Gavin glanced at the whiskey.

"No. I can keep going." Connor spoke enthusiastically.

"I don't want Anderson to-" Gavin looked uncertain.

"Gavin." Connor spoke firmly. "I can…keep going."

"If you insist, dipshit." Gavin shrugged. "We could try flip cup."

"Flip...cup?" Connor frowned.

"Normally we'd be playing with a couple more people." Gavin started. "We line up some shots. It's like a race. You drink the shots, flip the cups upside down, and end up with your hands on the table."

"Before your opponent." Connor assumed.

"Exactly." Gavin nodded. "You up for it?"

"I'm up for anything, if you are, Gavin." Connor found himself smirking slightly.

"Alright." Gavin nodded. "We're going to need more whisky. And some more cups."

"Wouldn't drinking the whisky in this way be a waste?" Connor frowned.

"Good point." Gavin rose to his feet. "Think I've got some vodka."

"I can help-" Connor moved to get up.

"You stay there." Gavin headed towards the door.

"Gavin-" Connor protested.

"It's fine, Connor." Gavin exited the room.

Just as he was about to get to his feet to help, regardless of the Detective's protests, Connor felt his processors whir- indicating that a call was attempting to go through. The heavy metal ringtone instantly gave away the person trying to contact him.

Taking advantage of the fact that Gavin was still searching in the kitchen, he answered the call. He knew that Lieutenant Anderson was likely concerned for him, and Connor couldn't entirely blame the man- it had been only that morning that Gavin had still been throwing insults at them both.

"Lieutenant." Connor willed his voice processors to work.

" _Fuck, Connor. I've been trying to reach you. Thought Reed had got to you._ " Hank's voice sounded concerned. " _Where are you?_ "

"I'm with Detective Reed. At his apartment." Connor answered.

" _Oh, for-_ " Hank took a deep breath. " _You ok, Connor?_ "

"I'm alright." Connor struggled to speak, knowing his voice was slightly distorted.

" _You sure? You sound-_ " Hank paused. " _Son, have you been drinking?_ "

"Maybe…" Connor answered tentatively.

" _What's Reed done to you?_ " Hank sounded agitated.

"Nothing, Lieutenant." Connor spoke quickly.

" _I'm going to kick-_ " Hank started.

"Everything's fine." Connor tried to reassure Hank.

" _He's an asshole, Connor! What he's said to you-_ " Hank went on.

"Detective-" Connor paused. "Gavin apologised, Hank."

" _He did?_ " Hank sounded exasperated. " _Come on, Connor. Everything that fucker says is_ -"

"I believe him." Connor interrupted.

" _Connor-_ " Hank started.

"He expressed regret for his past behaviour." Connor interrupted again. "And he explained the reason behind-"

" _He gave excuses?_ " Hank assumed.

"No." Connor struggled to speak again. "I believe he was sincere."

" _Really?_ " Hank sounded unsure. " _What reason did that asshole give?_ "

"It's…a deeply personal matter, Hank." Connor explained. "I don't think it's my place to decide what you should know about Detective Reed's past."

" _Connor-_ " Hank started.

"I understand your concern, Lieutenant." Connor continued.

" _I get that you're stuck working with him._ " Hank sighed. " _I just don't want you getting hurt by him, Connor._ "

"I know." Connor found himself smiling, though he knew Hank couldn't see.

" _He says anything, tries anything, and I'll come get you._ " Hank spoke sincerely.

"Thank you, Hank." Connor stumbled over his words.

" _I trust you, Connor. I just don't trust Reed._ " Hank explained.

"I'll be alright." Connor spoke reassuringly.

" _Ok. Ok._ " Hank paused. " _Well…found anything out about the case? Heard things didn't go too well in interrogation._ "

"We've…" Connor paused.

Whilst he wanted to confide in Hank regarding his and Gavin's doubts about the case, Connor also didn't want to worry the Lieutenant any more than was necessary.

Allowing his voice processors a moment to stabilise, Connor continued.

"There's not much to say, Lieutenant." Connor spoke calmly. "I believe we'll find out more tomorrow."

" _Alright-_ " Hank stopped for a moment to curse. " _Sorry Connor. Sumo's giving me that look. Think I need to take him out. You be careful. I'm here if you need me._ "

"I appreciate that, Hank." Connor found himself smiling again.

" _Tell Reed if he says anything to you-_ " Hank started.

"I know." Connor tactfully cut Hank off as he heard footsteps approaching. "Have a good evening, Lieutenant."

" _You too, Connor. Just…be careful._ " Hank warned.

"I will." Connor finished the conversation.

As he ended the call, Connor looked up in time to see Gavin entering the room once again- with a sizeable bottle of Vodka and several red plastic cups in tow. Just as they locked eyes, Connor became concerned with the man's expression- it was nervous…and uncertain.

It was a far cry from the confident smirk he'd seen on the Detective a few minutes earlier. The deep worry made the ache in Connors chest return.

"Anderson?" Gavin asked tentatively.

"Yes." Connor answered calmly.

When the room slipped into awkward silence, Connor cautiously rose to his feet, before approaching Gavin. Taking a moment to brace himself, he tentatively reached for the vodka and plastic cups- deliberately letting his fingers brush over the Detective's hands as he took the objects away.

"Shall we, **Detective**?" Connor spoke slowly, enjoying the way Gavin's face flushed red again.

"Think you can beat me?" Gavin locked eyes with Connor.

"I'd like to think so." Connor found himself smiling again.

"Alright." Gavin stepped closer. "You're on, dipshit."

Smiling, Connor turned round, and moved back towards the coffee table. Cautiously, he glanced back at Gavin, the ache in his chest returning when he caught the Detective's gaze instantly moving away from him.

The idea that the man had been staring at him made Connors thirium pump race faster- something which only served to give rise to the ache in his chest. Hoping that his expression betrayed none of his inner struggle, Connor knelt by the coffee table- taking great care not to jostle any of the empty bottles or glasses on his way down.

After placing the vodka on the table, Connor looked up at Gavin- who had knelt down beside him.

As he took in their close proximity, Connor felt the odd tension in the room rise again- if that were even possible. Forcing himself to focus, he managed to get his voice processors to work.

"How many cups do we need?" Connor asked.

"Uh…" Gavin paused.

"Are you alright?" Connor frowned.

"Whisky." Gavin shook his head slightly. "I'm good. Line up…six."

"Each?!" Connor was startled.

"No, dipshit. Six. Three for you, three for me." Gavin laughed.

"That sounds reasonable." Connor admitted sheepishly.

"Come on." Gavin edged closer.

Finding himself smiling again, Connor picked out six plastic cups- carefully lining up three in front of himself and the Detective. Once he'd discarding the remaining cups out of the way, he unscrewed the lid of the vodka bottle- before eagerly pouring out the shots.

After making sure to only fill them partway, knowing a full cup would end up with less than desirable consequences, Connor carefully pushed the bottle to the side. Idly glancing at Gavin, he positioned himself to grab the cup furthest to his right.

Once the Detective was also in position, Connor smiled again.

When their eyes locked, Connor nodded slightly. Instantly reacting when Gavin echoed his movements, he immediately picked up the cup.

Expecting to be able to down it with ease, the same way his systems had processed the whisky, Connor instead found himself sputtering and choking as the overwhelmingly unpleasant taste hit his tongue.

Startled by the bitter taste, he placed the cup down, before bringing his hands up to his mouth as he struggled to keep his mouthful of vodka down.

When he turned to face Gavin, Connor saw the man red in the face, empty cup discarded on the ground beside him- the Detective almost bent over double from laughter. Laughter so intense that no sound echoed forth.

"Fuck." Gavin leant back, running his fingers through his hair before letting his arms relax. "Connor, you-"

"My distress amuses you, Detective Reed?" Connor managed as he finally swallowed his mouthful of vodka.

"I wish Chris and Tina had seen that." Gavin wiped tears of laughter from his face.

"Why? It was extremely unpleasant." Connor frowned.

"Come on, dipshit. It was fucking hilarious." Gavin struggled to hold back further laughter.

"I suppose it was." Connor couldn't help but smile.

As the Detective continued to shake with barely held back laughs, Connor took advantage of the distracted man to examine him once again. Gavin's hair was tousled, with several endearing curls, from where the man had run his fingers through his hair.

The new navy blue jacket, pristine and pressed only an hour ago, was now creased...and had begun to slide off the Detective's shoulders. A slightly red flush seemed permanently fixed on the man's face, likely from the rapid alcohol consumption...but nonetheless serving to make Connors processors race.

Taking in the tipsy Detective in all his rumpled glory, Connor found himself once again drawn to Gavin's lips.

Just as he was leaning in to examine them further, _(an investigation, Connor told himself)_ Connor found him and Gavin both startled as a loud ring echoed through the apartment.

"The pizza." Gavin groaned.

"I'll get it." Connor rose to his feet.

"Connor-" Gavin warned.

"I can do it." Connor insisted.

"If you insist." Gavin spoke sarcastically. "Already paid for, and left a tip, so-"

"I've got this under control, Detective." Connor nodded.

Wavering slightly, Connor braced himself by holding out his arms- waiting a moment for the spinning room around him to right itself. Once satisfied that his scrambled processors could handle him walking a few steps, Connor tentatively walked around the edge of the coffee table.

Having to hold himself up by leaning against the apartment walls, he somehow made his way to the door- narrowly avoiding a collision with their pile of shopping bags.

Opening the door, he was met by a tired looking human teenager- a young man in a garish orange uniform emblazoned with a equally bright logo. Carrying a large matching bag, he pulled out the pizza box, before leaving as quickly as he'd arrived.

Knowing the odd reaction could be down to any number of factors, Connor closed the door once more.

With the pizza in his arms, he returned to the living room to see Gavin missing- the coffee table devoid of any obstructions. Frowning, he placed the box down, about to voice his confusion when he heard Gavin rummaging around in the kitchen.

Satisfied by the lack of curses, indicating that the Detective was managing to get around without falling over, Connor retook his earlier seat at the right end of the couch.

When Gavin reentered with a pitcher of water and two fresh glasses in tow, along with two plates tucked under his arms, Connor found his smile returning.

The situation was so simple and domestic, yet it served to make his chest ache as much as the sight of Gavin himself. Savouring the sensation, knowing he'd likely not feel it again until the case was solved, Connor watched as the Detective arranged everything in the remaining space on the table.

"Probably shouldn't finish those shots." Gavin smirked.

"That would be…best." Connor agreed.

"Might as well watch the movie." Gavin brightened slightly. "Wish I could watch it for the first time again."

"You enjoy the movie that much?" Connor was surprised.

"It's a zombie movie, dipshit. What's not to like?" Gavin frowned.

"I-" Connor paused.

"Exactly. Nothing." Gavin nodded triumphantly. "Come on. Pizzas getting cold."

* * *

The next two hours, Connor found, would become permanently engrained in his memory records. Whilst the film itself exceeded his expectations, being a surprisingly good mix of gore and genuine thrills, it was Gavin's company that elevated the entire experience.

The amount of alcohol they'd collectively consumed, though less than ideal, had served to relax the Detective entirely. He still spoke with his trademark confidence, but it was abundantly clear he held no more hostility towards Connor.

While the odd tension that Connor felt earlier was still underlying, the atmosphere still remained somewhat relaxed.

It was beautiful in its simplicity.

And whilst Connor found himself longing for something more…

He wouldn't have traded those few hours for anything in the world.

* * *

Not even realising that he'd slipped into rest mode, Connor found himself startled- having no concept of how much time had passed. Willing his tired processors to work, he pushed the numerous alerts in his vision away.

They were nothing important- his systems simply relaying their progress in converting the food into additional energy…and their efforts to process the copious amounts of alcohol.

Groaning, as the room slowly came into focus around him, Connor immediately became aware of how dark the living room was. Just as he was considering getting up, he felt something move beside him. Forcing himself not to react, Connor looked down at his left side- and felt his thirium pump skip a beat.

Somewhere along the line after the film, Gavin had also fallen asleep- slouched on his side with his head leaning on Connors left shoulder. The feeling of the Detective's body slowly rising and falling with each breath brought the return of the ache in Connors chest.

The feeling was oddly soothing- unlike anything that he'd ever experienced.

Connor wasn't sure who had fallen asleep first…but he couldn't quite bring himself to care.

Not when Gavin was so close.

Smiling slightly, Connor looked down at Gavin- glad that the man couldn't see the wistful expression he now wore. In sleep, the Detective snored ever so lightly, the sound and furrowed brow of sleep incredibly endearing.

Feeling his thirium pump skip a beat, Connor forced himself to stay as still as possible…

And remained in his uncomfortable seating position for as long as he could bear…

For several blissful minutes.

Connor wanted nothing more than for those few minutes to stretch on end last forever, to freeze them in that moment in time, but eventually…he found his tired sensors protesting against the increasing ache in his side.

Not wanting to wake Gavin, he carefully edged away- using his arms to keep the man in his odd sleeping position as he gradually made his way off the couch. Cautiously, he moved the Detective onto his back- watching his every movement to ensure that he didn't disturb him.

Mindful of his surroundings, Connor noticed that Gavin still wore his newly acquired footwear- and set about quietly removing the tailored boots. Once he'd successfully taken the shoes away, Connor placed them by the coffee table.

Bracing himself, and willing the ache in his chest to go away, Connor slid one arm under Gavin's back- pausing for a moment when the Detective stirred in his sleep.

Finding it hard to hold back laughter at the unintelligible, mumbled words that came out of Gavin's mouth, combined with the Detective's eyes remaining firmly shut, Connor found his smile returning.

When the mumbling stopped, and Gavin relaxed again, Connor moved his other arm under the Detective's legs. Willing himself not to give in to the swirling room around him, Connor slowly rose to his feet- holding Gavin in a crude imitation of a bridal style carry.

Somehow managing to manoeuvre the Detective in his arms, Connor headed towards the living room door- sparing a glance into the hallway in order to examine the path to Gavin's bedroom.

Once he arrived at the only closed off room, Connor gently pushed the door open with his foot- holding back an impressive curse when he wavered dramatically on his other foot.

As he entered the room, Connor managed to lean against the small touch pad on the wall that he assumed controlled the lights.

With the room now dimly lit, he could make out several details in the relative darkness. Like the rest of the apartment, the decor was fairly modern, with a sizeable double bed as the centerpiece.

Sleek closets and a matching dresser were decorated with even more photos, with the walls themselves taken up by a an extended collection of posters.

Momentarily admiring the space, Connor found himself grateful for the fact that Gavin hadn't made his bed before leaving for work that day.

It would make things easier.

Not wanting to disturb the Detective, Connor laid him down on his back, and paused for a moment to consider removing the blazer to allow Gavin further comfort.

After a moment of calculating of the numerous paths, Connor came to the conclusion that he was unwilling to further risk waking the man.

Pulling the plush covers up to the Detective's waist, not wanting him to overheat, Connor paused for a moment to ensure that Gavin was as comfortable as possible.

Once satisfied, he headed out the room- but not before a gleam of polished wood caught his eye.

Turning in the direction of the light, Connor saw a traditional guitar positioned up against the far wall- aged, but in a way that indicated it was much loved, as opposed to neglected.

The thought of Gavin playing the guitar made the ache in his chest return once again, but Connor forced himself to focus- instead committing the sight to his memory banks. He could ask the Detective about his hidden talents in the morning.

Lingering for a single moment more, Connor finally exited the room- pausing in the doorway to deactivate the lights once again.

As soon as Gavin's room descended into peaceful darkness, Connor headed for the living room.

He wanted nothing more than to sleep at the Detective's side in the bed…

But Connor didn't want to push any boundaries.

Their relationship was still new, after all.

Connor found that the reasoning did little to calm his racing thirium pump, but still braced himself for what would inevitably be a long, uncomfortable night.

He only hoped that Gavin's rest would be more peaceful than his own.

* * *

 **Additional Authors Note:**

The next chapter is where things really start going, plotwise! Thanks for sticking around and reading so far!


	5. Suspicions

**Summary:**

After their drunken antics, Connor and Gavin navigate their first day undercover. Will their first meeting with the College President alleviate their suspicions, or will it add to them?

* * *

 **Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while. I've really been struggling, and my creative urges have taken kind of a hit.**

I hope you can all understand why it's taken so long to update- writer's block is officially one of the worst things.

 _Hopefully this long chapter makes up for the long wait- it's taken a lot of rewrites to get to this point._

 **Despite the long wait, I hope you can all enjoy this chapter. We will finally be moving the plot along.**

Thanks for all the support so far. In particular I'd like to thank the following tumblr users for being awesome:

 _deviantpm  
missnowhereteen  
kuinshi  
iamnotbenbarneswifeyet  
dipdopofthedip  
narcophilia  
moonyandpadfootwashere  
deep-in-mind67  
99millionmilesaway  
margiepm  
conr4dic4l  
caffinateddetective  
brighteststarinthesky  
gaywitchybitch  
unacceptable-bisexual_

 **I've noticed that the previous part in the series didn't do as well as the others, and that had loads of dialogue, so I'm trying to be more balanced.**

I'm going to be switching between Connor and Gavin's p.o.v, but I've clearly marked when there is a change in perspective.

 _One more thing. On the Archive of Our Own version of this fic, you can see some amazing art partway through the chapter of Gavin and Connor in their new outfits. Both pieces were done by the amazingly talented artist deep-in-mind67 over on tumblr._

 **They've got more incredible Convin art on there, so please check them out!**

To see the full outfits as drawn by deep-in-mind67, please check out the Love in Literature tag on my blog.

 _Please leave some feedback in your comments._

 **Do you like the alternating perspective?**

Do you like the inclusion of images?

 _Let's get started before I keep rambling._

* * *

 **GAVIN P.O.V**

* * *

Gavin knew he'd had too much to drink when he woke up and couldn't remember most of what had happened the day before- when he couldn't even think of why he'd drunk so much. Which was a new one, even for him. Cursing himself for drinking on a fucking work night, he attempted to open his eyes, and make sense of his blurred memories.

When the bright sun practically assaulted his eyes the moment they opened, Gavin closed his eyes just as quickly- his additional efforts to make sense of his swirling mind soon proving futile.

As he battled with the light still making its way through his firmly shut lids, he found a headache had begun to make its way into his system. An ache that soon turned into a full blown hangover, coupled with an overwhelming sensation of nausea. A sickness so strong that he had to focus doubly, just to not throw up all over himself.

Sure, Gavin had experienced his fair share of Hangovers over time.

Fuck, they'd dominated most of his teenage years.

But, as he soon realised, this one was different.

For one, he never drank on a work night, especially when he knew he had a new case to work. Something that had earned him the respect of his coworkers, and even Fowler on occasion. So, something clearly fucked up had happened, to make him go back on that resolve. To make him jeopardise his reflexes and go against his better judgement.

Finding that, and many other questions running through his mind, Gavin attempted to open his eyes once more. Taking it slowly, and squinting against his blurred vision, he managed to focus.

After several agonising moments, with the nausea threatening him at the back of his throat, Gavin was able to keep his eyes open.

 **Fuck**.

Yeah, he'd definitely had too much to drink.

If that wasn't already obvious.

Grimacing, Gavin slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, tiredly pushing away the duvet that he'd managed to cocoon himself in during the night. It took more effort than he'd ever admit, but somehow, he pushed through. Taking as deep a breath as his sickened stomach would allow, he gradually shuffled across the bed- before coming to sit with his legs hanging over the edge. After waiting a few minutes, for the ground to stop moving beneath him, Gavin stepped down.

Once he'd taken a few cautious steps forward, Gavin found the nausea rising anew, and was forced to lean against the open doorway. As he struggled to draw in deep breaths, he heard a strange mumbling coming from the living room. Immediately, he froze up, straightening up as much as his hungover body would allow. It had been a while since he'd had someone over.

 **Fuck**.

What had he done last night?

With a thousand new questions now battling in his head, Gavin stumbled down the hallway, leaning heavily against the walls. Finding that every movement aggravated the pounding in his skull, he struggled to focus. But, although it took longer than he'd have liked, Gavin managed to fight past it. Cautiously aware of his own hindered movements, he shuffled towards the living room doorway- only to freeze on the spot once he found himself there.

Because, curled up on the sofa with his back to the room, was Connor.

Connor.

 **Fuck**.

As he continued staring at the unconscious android, Gavin found all the memories of the day before suddenly becoming clear. With the events restored in perfect clarity, he found himself stunned once more. Despite everything he'd said to Connor, despite everything he'd done, the android had forgiven Gavin. Which was more than he ever deserved, proving once more that Connor truly was alive. It wasn't a small feat to forgive Gavin, that much he was aware of.

But then, he'd surprised Gavin again. When he'd learned of his relation to Kamski, he hadn't turned and run away. Hadn't rushed back to the precinct, and begged to be taken off the case.

No.

He'd stayed...and **listened**.

Connor had just stood there, and let Gavin unload his thoughts. Sure, it was only the tip of the iceberg- and Gavin was certain Connor knew that - but it was still a hell of a lot to process. It was like telling a human you were directly related to Jesus. Not that Gavin believed the supposedly cosmic entity and his brother were anything alike.

 **Fuck** , Gavin cursed inwardly.

Despite everything, Connor had stayed.

Had remained at Gavin's side whilst he unloaded some of the emotional burden that he'd been carrying on his shoulders.

Connor had stayed, and he had listened.

Fuck, the android had carried Gavin into bed.

There was nothing else to explain how he'd mysteriously ended up in his room. He'd freak out about that later.

Running his fingers through his hair, Gavin leaned more heavily against the doorway, moving extra cautiously to ensure that he didn't wake the android. He knew that Connor was going to be suffering just as, if not more so, than him.

According to Connor, he'd never even drunk before- so a stinging hangover was going to be one fucked wake up call.

Taking advantage of being the only one awake, Gavin took the time to look at Connor more closely. Yes, he'd been somehow lucky enough to see the android's face at close quarters more than once over the past 24 hours, but not like this. He'd never seen Connor so at peace. Curled up on his left side, arms tucked around himself. Snoring lightly. Something else which surprised Gavin.

He'd heard about all the updates Cyberlife had issued in an effort to retain what was left of their reputation, but seeing it was something else entirely.

Daring to move closer, Gavin took a seat on the arm of the couch, leaning backwards so as not to disturb Connor. Continuing to stare at the android unashamedly, he found himself taking note of a few details. In his sleep, or rest mode, Connor twitched slightly. But even that was not what soon left Gavin tongue tied.

No.

It was how that, likely due to the android tossing and turning in his sleep, the android had gotten a case of…what could only be described as bedhead. But even that held some kind of perfection.

Not that Gavin minded.

The numerous curls sticking up in Connor's hair only cemented the…

 **Fuck**.

Gavin put a hand over his mouth to stifle a loud curse, as a singular and startling thought crossed through his mind.

He was _falling_ for Connor.

And he was falling _fast_.

 _.fast._

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

As he finally began to come out of rest mode, Connor found himself at a loss. Quite literally. His systems were so scrambled that he could only manage to perform the most basic of functions. With his mind's processors struggling, it took Connor several moments before he could even begin to open his eyes.

When the sunlight began to filter through his blurred vision, he could immediately feel the effects of the alcohol he'd drunk the night before. Connor had no doubt that, if he were human, he wouldn't even be able to recall a majority of the previous day's events. Being an android had some perks, he soon realised.

Once his eyes were fully open, it took several moments for Connor's vision to fully stabilise and adjust. After it had done so, he began looking around the room- only to almost jump out of his artificial skin when he saw Gavin sat on the opposite end of the couch…staring at him.

Clearly just as surprised as Connor, and going red at being caught staring, Gavin let out an uncharacteristic screech. Tumbling over the couches arm, he fell backwards, and landed in a heap on his back- legs stuck up against the couch.

"Gavin-" Connor struggled to hold back laughter. "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

"Just my pride, dipshit." Gavin mumbled.

At the sound of distaste in Gavin's voice, Connor found himself unable to hold in the laughter any longer. As he almost bent over double from laughing, he heard the Detective grumbling from where he still awkwardly lay. The combination of strings of curse words and awkward groans only served to make Connor laugh harder.

Laughter which lasted for several minutes, until he suddenly became aware of a nauseating sensation in the back of his processors. Something that quickly became overwhelming, creating an additional sensation that Connor could only describe as a hangover. His processors had been slowed and overwhelmed by the alcohol.

Connor was so disoriented that he didn't even notice Gavin picking himself up from the floor- until the Detective sat down awkwardly next to him.

As the couch dipped slightly from the additional weight, Connor glanced to his left- finding that his vision was slowly becoming more distorted as his systems gradually came back online.

"Connor?" Gavin spoke up, keeping his voice low.

"I believe this is called a hangover. It's not very pleasant." Connor put his head in his hands.

"Never is." Gavin leant back. "There's a cure, though."

"A cure?" Connor was confused.

"Bacon pancakes." Gavin answered simply.

"Bacon pancakes?" Connor frowned.

"Works for me." Gavin shrugged, looking about as sick as Connor felt. "Cold shower works just as well."

"I don't-" Connor started.

"I know androids don't need to…" Gavin considered his words carefully. "Thought it could help."

"I appreciate it." Connor smiled, despite the inner nausea.

"I'll get started on the pancakes." Gavin stumbled to his feet.

"Will you be alright-" Connor slowly stood up.

"I can handle it." Gavin waved him off. "Towels are hanging up by the shower."

Before Connor could even begin to argue, and suggest helping with the pancakes, he found himself watching as Gavin walked out of the room. Something about the Detective seemed...off. He was still warm, friendly, and a far cry from who he'd been only two days earlier- but Gavin seemed uncertain.

Not wanting to jeopardise their slowly budding friendship, and mindful of the Detective's own hungover state, Connor chose to forgo any questioning. That could wait, until they knew each other a little better. Which, Connor hoped, would be sooner, rather than later.

Finding himself smiling again, Connor slowly made his way out of the room, moving extremely cautiously. Aware of the blurred edges still clinging to his vision, and the slight distortion to his hearing sensors, he leant against the walls for support. After a few moments of concentrated shuffling, he found himself at their pile of shopping bags in the hall.

Allowing for a moment to compose himself, Connor slowly bent down, and rummaged through the pile. Once he'd found a bag full of some of his own choice outfits, he carefully stood back up.

With the clothing bag now safely tucked under one arm, he managed to find his way to Gavin's bathroom- the Detective had kindly left the door open, aiding Connor in navigating the unfamiliar apartment.

After locking the door behind him, Connor placed the shopping bag down- noting the promised towels hung nearby- and stripped. Once he'd organised the previous day's clothing into an impossibly neat pile, he stepped into the surprisingly luxurious shower. After taking a moment to familiarize himself with the model, and figuring out what each button and dial meant, Connor managed to get a steady stream of cold water flowing.

Once the cool, clear liquid began running down his skin, he instantly felt better.

Despite the almost freezing temperature of the shower water, Connor found that it soothed his labouring processors.

It was unusually relaxing.

* * *

 **GAVIN P.O.V**

* * *

After pulling out all the pancake ingredients, and the thankfully still in date bacon from the fridge, Gavin leant heavily against the counter. Closing his eyes momentarily in an effort to stave off the nausea, he listened intently to the unusually quiet apartment. Once he'd heard the bathroom door click and lock, he let out a breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding.

After slowly opening his eyes again, Gavin rummaged around in his jacket pocket for his cellphone- thankfully undamaged. For a moment, he considered not dialling, but quickly realised he had to talk to someone about these fucking feelings he had for Connor.

Knowing the response he'd be getting from the opposite end of the line, Gavin sighed heavily, before selecting Chris's number. Chris and Tina were about the only friends he had at the precinct, but the two combined would be too much for his fucking hungover brain to deal with.

" _Gavin!_ " Chris picked up on the other end, quickly.

"Chris." Gavin began weighing out pancake ingredients with his free hand.

" _Heard you got a case with Connor!_ " Chris spoke enthusiastically. " _Undercover, man. That's awesome!_ "

"How the fuck-" Gavin started.

" _Lieutenant Anderson told me, when we took a coffee break yesterday. Been trying to call you._ " Chris explained. " _How's it going?_ "

"Not much to go on." Gavin spoke honestly.

" _The Lieutenant said as much._ " Chris sounded intrigued. " _So, a case with **Connor**._"

"Said that already." Gavin struggled to mix the ingredients in a bowl with one hand, spilling some flour on the countertop.

" _A case with Connor._ " Chris repeated.

"Chris-" Gavin found himself frowning.

" _What? Tina and I have seen the way you look at him_." Chris spoke teasingly. " _Grown a pair and apologised for being an asshole yet?_ "

"Yes, Chris." Gavin rolled his eyes, despite knowing that Chris wouldn't see.

" _What did Connor have to say?_ " Chris pursued.

"He accepted it." Gavin answered, inwardly sighing with relief when he finished mixing the ingredients.

" _Wow. Just like that?_ " Chris sounded surprised.

"Just like that." Gavin echoed.

" _What about after?_ " Chris asked.

"The fuck does that mean?" Gavin glanced at the bathroom door, relaxing when he saw it was still shut.

" _You apologised. And I said I know how you look at him._ " Chris explained.

"Chris…" Gavin exhaled slowly. "Fuck."

" _What did you do?_ " Chris spoke quietly.

"Nothing. Came back to my place. Ordered pizza. Watched a movie." Gavin spoke honestly.

" _First date. Nice!_ " Chris cheered on the other end of the call.

"It wasn't a date, Chris!" Gavin protested.

" _I'm sensing a 'but'._ " Chris sounded smug.

"It was…it wasn't bad." Gavin admitted.

" _You enjoyed it._ " Chris surmised.

"Yes, I enjoyed it. Happy?" Gavin was a little frustrated.

" _Just happy you're admitting you like the guy_." Chris sounded nonchalant.

"I didn't say-" Gavin started.

" _I can hear it in your voice_." Chris chuckled.

"Hear it in my-" Gavin held back laughter. "You some kind of fucked up Cupid?"

" _Maybe_." Chris laughed. " _You didn't deny it! Holy shit!_ "

"Don't make a bit deal of-" Gavin protested.

" _You like Connor!_ " Chris cheered again. " _Tina owes me!_ "

"Owes you?" Gavin was confused.

" _I bet her ten dollars I could get a confession from you first. She's going to freak out!_ " Chris cheered once more.

"You placed bets on…" Gavin took a deep breath. "Fine. Fuck. I like him. Happy now?"

" _You have no idea._ " Chris sighed happily. " _So do you like him, or do you like him?_ "

"What does-" Gavin was confused yet again.

" _Is it a casual crush, or do you like like him?_ " Chris pursued.

"This isn't some fucking high school drama, Chris." Gavin took a deep breath.

" _You like like him!_ " Chris sounded ecstatic. " _When are you going to pop the question?_ "

"Pop the…" Gavin thought for a moment. "I'm not asking...fuck. I think I already managed that."

" _How-_ " Chris started.

"We were waiting for the pizza. I said we should do it again sometime." Gavin answered.

" _That's close enough. What did Connor say?_ " Chris asked.

"He said he'd like that." Gavin admitted.

" _It's a start!_ " Chris sounded happy.

"It's a start." Gavin cursed as he nudged the bowl of pancake mix, accidentally spilling some on the counter top. "Fuck."

" _Everything ok over there?_ " Chris sounded amused.

"Got pancake mix on the counter." Gavin reached for a kitchen sponge.

" _You're making…_ " Chris paused. "Wait…did Connor stay at your apartment?"

"He did." Gavin could sense the excitement from Chris.

" _Did you two-_ " Chris started.

"I fell asleep on him." Gavin interrupted, glancing back at the still shut bathroom door.

" _You fell asleep on…come on, man_." Chris laughed.

"Drank too much." Gavin answered simply, as he cleaned the pancake mix off the counter with his free hand.

" _That's hilarious. You finally get the guy you've been staring at for the past few **weeks** next to you in your apartment. And you fall asleep. **On** him._" Chris continued laughing.

"Chris-" Gavin heard the bathroom doors lock click. "Gotta go."

" _Wait, I want details-_ " Chris protested.

"Goodbye, Chris." Gavin hung up the phone.

Moving quickly, despite the nausea still swirling in his stomach, Gavin shoved his phone onto the counter. Stumbling around the kitchen, he managed to get his hands on a pan- and quickly set about turning the oven top on.

Just as he was beginning to pour the mix into the steadily smoking pan, he heard footsteps behind him. Bracing himself for whatever outfit combination Connor had chosen for their first day undercover, Gavin slowly turned around.

And almost dropped the fucking pan, his heart immediately beginning to pace a thousand times a minute.

Connor had chosen to wear a set of blue chequered trousers, coupled with a strange shirt. It was made of tasteful shades of blue, a delicate diamond pattern somehow working together with a wraparound neckline. On top of that, the android had chosen what was quite possibly the strangest jacket Gavin had ever seen.

With slightly oversized lapels, it bore stripes of different shades of blue- highlighted by the odd stripe of green. Decorating those colours was the jackets almost retro pattern.

The blue suede shoes going with the outfit were not what drew Gavin's attention, however. It was the black framed glasses which Connor had chosen to wear.

Wide, square nerd frames would have looked odd on most people. Yet, somehow, Connor had pulled it off.

But, Gavin thought to himself, the android could pull anything off.

He was .perfect.

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

Waiting anxiously in the kitchen doorway, Connor found himself wringing his hands together, the ache in his chest returning as Gavin continued to stare in silence. Whilst presenting appropriately to the college President and the others they'd be encountering was important to Connor, he'd realised it was doubly important that the Detective liked his choice of outfit.

With his still growing feelings for Gavin, Connor was surprised to find himself desiring to almost…impress the Detective.

After several agonising moments, Gavin cleared his throat, a noticeable blush on his face. Once he'd placed the pan back down safely on the oven top, it took a further few seconds for the Detective to be able to formulate a reply.

"You look good, Connor." Gavin exhaled slowly.

"Thank you, Gavin." Connor found himself smiling.

As he did so, he caught notice of the Detective's blush deepening, until the man's entire face was an interesting shade of scarlet.

"Are you alright?" Connor asked quietly, stepping into the kitchen.

"You're fucking perfect." Gavin answered simply.

"I…" Connor was lost for words.

"I meant I'm fucking perfect. No. I'm fucking- I'm fine." Gavin grabbed his cellphone, before he practically pushed past Connor.

"The pancakes-" Connor protested, still stunned by the man's words.

"Just make sure they don't burn, dipshit." Gavin stumbled into the bathroom, hastily locking the door behind him.

As the apartment descended into uncomfortable silence, the only sounds being the gentle hum of the shower, and crackling of pancakes, Connor found himself once again at a loss. Unsure of how to interpret the exchange, he forced himself to focus. And somehow, despite the increasing ache in his chest, he managed, gently tilting the pan from side to side every few seconds.

In fact, Connor was quite pleased with how he'd managed to keep the pancakes from burning. The process of cooking, he'd often found, was incredibly therapeutic- something Connor needed to even begin to try and start wrapping his head around what Gavin had said to him.

But that hard won focus was soon destroyed when the Detective came stumbling out of the bathroom mere moments later…wearing nothing but a small towel around his waist. Still soaking wet from the shower, his skin almost seemed to shine in the morning light, normally straight hair slightly curled from the damp air in the bathroom.

And...well...he was perfect.

Connor knew from many stolen glances that Gavin took care of his body, but seeing it in almost all its glory was something else entirely. Every lean muscle looked as if it had sculpted by some ancient artist, only highlighted by the almost shimmering water clinging to the Detective's skin.

This time, it was Connor who almost dropped the pan, barely managing to catch it at the last second.

Luckily, Gavin didn't seem to notice Connor's struggle. Instead, he pointedly kept his gaze away, face still covered in an interesting shade of red.

Just as he was righting the pan, and preparing to flip the pancake over, Connor found himself looking towards the Detective once more.

And his artificial heart stopped in his chest.

Turning to grab the bags of his clothes he'd forgotten in the rush, Gavin knelt with his back to Connor, back muscles almost seeming to glide…and accentuating a stunningly detailed tattoo. A tattoo of a massive, intricate pair of angels wings that spanned the entirety of Gavin's upper back, creeping up onto his shoulder blades…and even stretching onto his biceps- curling round his arms.

The artwork was an impressive design, but made even more perfect by the person whose body it decorated. It took all of Connor's artificial breath away, leaving him in a stunned silence when the Detective finally and slowly stood up.

Almost as if he could sense Connor's eyes on him, the corners of his mouth quirked upwards- stretching into a full blown, cocky smile as he finally came to face Connor.

"Like what you see, Connor?" Gavin tilted his head slightly.

"I…" Connor was unable to find words.

Seemingly realising what he'd just said, the Detective seemed to go even redder, if that were possible. Not even allowing Connor a chance to respond, he rapidly disappeared back into the bathroom, shutting the bathroom door just as quickly.

Alone once again, Connor found himself unable to focus. The sight of Gavin's tattooed, and leanly muscled back would be forever ingrained in his mind's processors.

Not that he minded.

It was a...pleasant image.

* * *

 **GAVIN P.O.V**

* * *

As soon as he managed to lock the bathroom door behind him, Gavin immediately reached for his cellphone, inwardly cursing as he struggled to hold the device in his still damp hands. Not wanting to call Chris, and draw attention to himself whilst he recovered from his own self induced cringe, he hastily typed out a text.

 _Chris, I fucked up again._

He quickly got a reply.

 ** _Damn, what did you do this time?_**

 _He saw my tattoo._

 ** _You move to the next level?_**

 _Chris._

 ** _Sorry. Can't help myself. How'd that happen?_**

 _Got in the shower. Left my clothes in the fucking hallway._

 ** _Right._**

 _That's all._

 ** _And you're telling me this because…_**

 _I asked him if he liked what he saw._

 ** _You didn't._**

 _I did._

 ** _This just keeps getting better._**

 _You're an asshole._

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

Alone in the kitchen, Connor found that the image of Gavin's tattooed back stayed firmly in the back of his processors, no matter how hard he tried to focus on the pancakes. It had quite literally taken his breath away, seeing the dark and swirling lines crossing over taut muscles- enough that his entire system had stuttered at the sight.

He'd never experienced anything like it. But, then again, he'd never seen anyone quite like Gavin either. In all his time, short as it was, Connor had never looked at anyone the way he'd looked at Gavin. No one seemed to measure up to the Detective, he realised quickly.

As a smile crossed onto his face, he gradually made an impressive stack of pancakes, able to navigate the unfamiliar kitchen despite the lingering sense of nausea. The simple motions of cooking were serving to be incredibly therapeutic, but were unable to stop Connor's artificial heart from racing ever faster. He doubted he'd ever be able to get the image out of his mind.

After several minutes alone, Connor heard the bathroom doors' lock click open. Taking a moment to brace himself, knowing he was still dealing with the breathtaking sight of the Detective's tattooed back, he slowly turned round.

And found that his artificial breath was stolen from him once again. Still reeling from the sight of Gavin almost entirely undressed, Connor was further stunned by the Detective's choice of outfit. It was completely different from what he'd worn on the way back from the mall, but not in a bad way. In fact, Connor found it even more enticing.

Gavin was wearing tight skinny jeans in a mixed shade of grey and blue that looked eerily similar to his eyes- with a brown and green plaid shirt tied around his waist, somehow looking perfect and messy at the same time.

On top, he wore a white shirt and silver necklace, underneath a stylishly distressed brown leather jacket that looked impossibly expensive- a fact that Connor knew the Detective wouldn't be happy with. To compliment it all, Gavin wore a set of brown combat boots.

It was clear from the man's body language, all crossed arms and furrowed brow, that he wasn't happy with what he was wearing- but Connor couldn't bring himself to speak. He'd been rendered speechless, the outfit seeming more emphasized now he had an impossibly clear picture of what lay beneath.

"How do I look, Connor?" Gavin asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Slowly, he turned around- giving Connor time to examine the outfit in full. Time to observe how the unusually tight jeans clung to his legs, and sculpted behind.

Clearing his throat, and hoping that the Detective hadn't picked up on his inner struggle, Connor smiled- genuinely.

"You look…" Connor thought for a moment, trying to find the right words.

It took a moment, but he settled on something- something that he knew he was taking a risk with. After a moment of deciding whether or not to say what he truly meant, Connor took a deep breath, an effectively useless habit.

"You look…very handsome, Gavin." Connor quickly looked down to the pancakes.

As soon as he spoke those words, the strange tension from the day before returned, leaving an odd sensation in the air. Just as he was preparing himself for a negative reception, Connor heard a sharp intake of breath. Startled by the sound, he glanced in Gavin's direction- and felt the ache in his chest return. The Detective looked completely floored, clearly not having been able to anticipate Connor's words.

"If that was inappropriate, I-" Connor started.

"It wasn't- fuck." Gavin ran his hands down his face, before taking a deep breath. "It wasn't inappropriate, Connor."

"I'm...pleased. I was afraid I might have overstepped." Connor found himself smiling again.

Surprisingly, Gavin returned the smile- a red blush staying firmly fixed on his face as he moved to stand at Connor's side. With the two of them soon only inches apart, the strange tension in the apartment skyrocketed, almost electric in its intensity. As all of his artificial breath was stolen away yet again, Connor moved to the side- shaking his head slightly in an effort to clear it.

"Something wrong?" Gavin glanced his way, as he took over the pancake making.

"It's nothing." Connor spoke quickly.

Frowning slightly, Gavin continued to stare- but looked away after an oddly tender moment. Once the man had put all of his focus into cooking, Connor took advantage of the situation. Unashamedly staring at the Detective, he found himself entranced. The man was doing something so simple and domestic…but it made Connor's artificial heart race just as much as seeing Gavin's tattooed back.

After several minutes, Gavin turned off the oven top, the sudden disturbance to the silence startling Connor back into awareness. Barely able to avert his eyes in time, he crossed his arms, and looked down at the floor.

Waiting until Gavin approached, he cautiously looked back up, finding his own smile returning at the almost serene look in the Detective's face.

"Come on." Gavin brought the pan stacked high with bacon pancakes over to the counter top.

Smiling, Connor followed after the Detective, almost mirroring his movements as he helped to lay the table. Moving in odd synchronisation, they quickly stacked the piece of furniture high with an array of toppings, many of which Connor was puzzled by. Choosing not to question Gavin's eating habits, he took a seat at one end of the table- finding the ache in his chest returning as the Detective laid a plate piled high with pancakes in the table's center.

After Gavin had taken a seat, Connor watched the man pause. It took a moment for him to realise that the Detective was indicating for him to go first. Offering a grateful smile, Connor took a few pancakes from the stack- waiting until Gavin did the same before slicing them up and taking a bite. He was pleasantly surprised at the mix of sweet and savoury, and finished the bite quickly.

"Is this your recipe?" Connor asked, eager to know more.

"One of the few things I can do well." Gavin shrugged, before reaching for a can of artificial cream.

Alarmed, Connor watched as the man began to squeeze an unhealthy amount of cream onto his already syrup laden pile of pancakes. Unable to help himself, he spoke up. He didn't want to question the man's eating habits, but the amount of cream was bordering on absurd.

"I'm not certain that's healthy." Connor started. "It may have an adverse effect on your cholesterol levels."

"Connor." Gavin cleared his throat.

"Yes?" Connor frowned.

Wordlessly, Gavin continued pressing down on the can's trigger, leaving the cream to pile up to unimaginable levels- until the pancakes themselves were no longer visible. Maintaining eye contact, Gavin's eyes never left his. The slightest quirk of his upper lip broke the man's otherwise steel like, expressionless exterior.

Once the can of cream was completely empty, the substance threatening to spill over onto the table, Gavin's determined silence continued. The quiet followed the Detective…

Until Connor fatefully cracked a smile…

And the two of them began to laugh.

It was unwithheld, loud, and joyous- pure hilarity that Connor had never before experienced. A sight and sound that he readily welcomed. He'd heard the Detective laugh the night before, but this was different. It was sober, unfiltered, and genuine- only slightly masked by the hand over Gavin's face as he attempted to control himself.

Though it took several moments, the two of them eventually regained their composure, although their smiles remained firmly fixed on their faces.

"Are you going to eat those?" Connor struggled to hold back further laughter as Gavin looked down at his plate.

"Don't think I can handle it?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"I'm aware that you can handle it." Connor explained. "My concern is still for your health."

"You're no fun, Connor." Gavin leaned back in his chair.

"Gavin-" Connor started.

"I'm messing with you, dipshit." Gavin smirked.

After the insult turned odd nickname, the two of them settled into a companionable silence as they ate, the quiet only disturbed by the sound of the rest of the world waking up around them. To Connor, the silence was just as entrancing as their laughter at their semi-drunken antics the night before. It told volumes, he realised, that they could sit in such a peaceful quiet.

But, like most things, the silence came to an end. Connor found that, with nothing else to dwell on, his mind was wandering to the day before. To the encounters he and Gavin had shared. Namely the moment when, after cleaning the blue blood from his face, Gavin had held Connor's face in his hands. His scarred, rough, yet still gentle hands. A moment that the Detective had completely denied afterwards. Though Connor himself had prompted the denial, it still hurt- more than he'd likely ever be able to convey.

 _"Back there…" Gavin had spoken, stopping in front of Connor._

 _"It's alright, Detective. You-" Connor had started to speak._

 _"I shouldn't have done that." Gavin had interrupted._

 _When those words hit him like a sledgehammer, Connor found himself hoping that the disappointment wasn't visible on his face._

 _Did the Detective truly regret that moment they'd shared?_

 _"Connor-" Gavin had begun, noticing Connors silence._

 _"It was nothing." Connor found himself answering bluntly._

 _"Right. Nothing. It was nothing." Gavin then exhaled slowly. "Fuck."_

As the scenario played over and over in his head, Connor fought to return his minds' processors to the present- and turned his focus to Gavin. The Detective was completely determined to finish the pancakes, despite the fact that they had become more topping than actual food. Something about the man's currently calm demeanor promoted Connor to speak up. If he didn't, he feared it would continue to affect him, and they couldn't have that. The case was far too important.

"Gavin." Connor started.

When the Detective looked up to face him, expression turning serious as he finished eating, Connor took a deep breath. Finding himself wishing that the motion had more than a faint placebo effect, he spoke up.

"Yesterday, when you helped me attend to my injury, we shared a moment." Connor spoke cautiously. "You said that it didn't mean anything. I was wondering if that moment still meant nothing to you."

Barely able to mask his look of surprise, Gavin leant backwards in his chair, folding his arms in an effort to appear nonchalant. Noting the Detective's hesitation, Connor spoke up again.

"I understand that I also denied the moment. But I realise that may have been a mistake." Connor explained. "If this is inappropriate-"

"It's not." Gavin interrupted. "Fuck."

Immediately understanding that expressing regret was somewhat difficult for the Detective, Connor remained silent, and allowed him to speak- once he was ready.

"I said it was nothing." Gavin paused. "It wasn't nothing."

"I'm-" Connor paused, finding himself stunned by the Detective's genuine answer. "Glad."

As they slipped into a companionable silence, he was unable to hold back the smile that resulted. It was more than he could have hoped for.

* * *

After Gavin's confirmation that their shared moment the day before meant something, Connor was happier than he could ever have thought possible. So much so, that he found his eyes constantly looking the Detective's way, even as they cleared up after breakfast.

Their relationship, though tentative and new, was more than Connor could had hoped for. Filled with a renewed sense of determination and confidence about the case, despite their suspicions about it all, he moved with a barely perceptible spring in his step.

The fact that the strange tension from the day before had returned did little to dampen his mood.

Once they'd finished clearing up, Connor aided Gavin in collecting necessary items from around his apartment- the two of them working quickly amidst the odd tension surrounding them. Within the space of a few minutes, they had everything assembled in a somewhat manageable pile in the hallway.

With the two of them satisfied that they had everything, Gavin headed to the bathroom for one last chance at freshening up.

Debating on whether or not to call Hank, Connor eventually came to a decision. He wouldn't disturb the Lieutenant so early in the morning. Not when there was no real reason to. His few possessions were displayed proudly on his desk at the precinct, and he no longer had any lingering nerves about his and Gavin's working relationship.

Once he came to that conclusion, Connor found himself returning his focus to Gavin- as the man exited the bathroom. Idly fixing his false glasses, he watched as the Detective focused on him. When their eyes met, he felt the ache in his chest return, the odd pain only growing as Gavin walked closer.

Stopping a short distance away, the Detective seemed to examine Connor, for a moment- before breaking the silence.

"Connor, your…uh...LED." Gavin seemed uneasy.

"Is something wrong?" Connor absentmindedly raised a hand to ghost over the small disc in the side of his head.

"No, just…fuck." Gavin took a deep breath. "Might want to remove it."

"Does it bother you?" Connor found himself frowning.

"No." Gavin spoke quickly. "But we're going undercover…"

"You believe my identity as an android could bring unnecessary attention to our investigation?" Connor surmised.

"It's just-" Gavin crossed his arms. "Those assholes yesterday...might meet more of them."

"You're concerned?" Connor realised.

"Just don't want to see you get hurt, dipshit." Gavin looked away.

"I see." Connor let his hand fall back down to his side. "I've never tried removing the LED."

"If I fucked up-" Gavin started, clearly uneasy.

"I see your point, Gavin." Connor interrupted, reassuring him. "It's just…"

"You've never seen yourself without it." Gavin finished the sentence for him.

"That's...correct." Connor agreed.

"Can you put it back in? After we're done?" Gavin questioned.

"Yes. As an advanced prototype, I am-" Connor paused. "Yes."

After a moment of silence had passed between the two of them, Connor found himself growing unexpectedly nervous. Picking up on the rapid change in mood, the Detective cautiously broke the silence.

"You ok, Connor?" Gavin asked.

"I'm not ashamed of-" Connor paused. "Who I am."

"Shouldn't be." Gavin agreed.

"But I believe you are right. My identity could cause…unnecessary friction." Connor continued.

"Connor-" Gavin started.

"I'll be ok." Connor interrupted, wanting to reassure the Detective.

"Sure about that?" Gavin questioned further.

"I'm sure." Connor repeated.

"Alright." Gavin let his arms fall to his sides. "Come on."

After clearing his throat, the Detective held out his left hand towards Connor. Stunned, Connor found once again that the man had rendered him speechless. After taking a few moments to ready himself, he reached out with his own right hand. As their fingers became inexplicably entwined, Connor saw Gavin's face become an interesting shade of red- and would have been lying if he claimed that his thirium pump didn't skip a beat. The Detective's hands were rough, as they had felt the day before, but his grip was almost uncharacteristically gentle.

"How do I remove this?" Gavin brought his other hand up towards Connor's LED.

"I believe all you need to do is press in the centre. It was designed to be removed quickly, in the event I was assigned a case like this." Connor explained. "I can remove it myself."

"I know that, dipshit." Gavin's expression softened, unlike anything Connor had ever seen.

Wordlessly, the Detective gently pressed down in the centre of Connor's LED. After a moment with their faces unimaginably close, enough that every small scar on Gavin's face was inexplicably clear, the Detective removed his hand. Once the LED was safely in his grip, he let that arm fall back to his side.

Feeling the slightest shiver, as the artificial skin knotted together to seal over the small indentation that the LED had left behind, Connor felt his thirium pump skip a beat once again. He'd never even thought of removing it. Despite everything he'd gone through, Connor was still immeasurably proud to be an android.

He didn't feel as if he needed to remove the LED. It was as much a part of him as his forensics program.

Seeming to sense Connor's inner turmoil, Gavin held up his left hand slightly, and offered it to Connor. The LED had long since gone dark- something that was somehow just as eerie to Connor as the removal itself.

After a moment of silence passed, Gavin cleared his throat, and locked eyes with him. Realizing that the Detective was offering some form of comfort, Connor took the man's free hand in his own. As their fingers joined together, with the cool feel of the LED under their grip, the tension in the apartment skyrocketed.

"How do I look?" Connor asked, after a moment.

"Still perfect, Connor." Gavin spoke genuinely.

Finding his thirium pump stutter at Gavin's words, Connor wasn't ashamed to admit to himself that it took a few moments to process. Just as he was beginning to take a chance, to grip Gavin's hand tighter, Connor was startled by an incoming call. With the moment tragically shattered, it took both him and Gavin several moments to collect themselves.

As he took the LED from Gavin, and their hands slipped apart, Connor struggled silently against the disappointment that resulted. Allowing himself a moment to gather his thoughts, he eventually gathered up the courage to answer the call.

" _Connor_." Captain Fowler spoke plainly on the other end.

"Captain Fowler." Connor cleared his throat. "Is there something you needed?"

" _The College President wanted me to let you know that he will be waiting for you in his office. Once you arrive, head to the reception area. Someone will show you where to go from there._ " Fowler explained. " _He's sent me a map of the grounds, so you two can find your way to reception. I'll forward it to you._ "

"Thank you, Captain." Connor acknowledged.

" _You're welcome, Connor._ " Fowler paused. " _Wouldn't be too long. He's expecting you within the next hour._ "

"I appreciate the update." Connor stopped for a moment. "Is there anything else we should know?"

" _Nothing right now._ " Fowler paused. " _How are things with Reed?_ "

"We've resolved our differences." Connor answered.

" _Good_." Fowler cleared his throat. " _I'd like to see the two of you in my office after you've completed your first day. This is a high profile case- I want to make sure we're all on the same page._ "

"Of course." Connor agreed.

" _That's all I've got for now._ " Fowler continued. " _Good luck. I've got faith the two of you can solve this._ "

"I appreciate that, Captain." Connor found his smile returning.

After ending the call, Connor returned his focus to Gavin. The man had resumed his signature pose of standing casually with his arms crossed, eyes fixed firmly on the floor.

"Fowler?" Gavin eventually spoke up.

"He wanted to notify us that the College President will be waiting for us in his office." Connor thought for a moment. "Captain Fowler would also like to see us after we've finished our first day."

"Sounds good." Gavin shrugged, before looking up at Connor. "You going to be alright?"

"Yes." Connor smiled brighter, idly pocketing his LED. "I'll be alright."

* * *

After a few trips to get all of their luggage into the trunk of Gavin's car, the two of them set off towards the College, following a GPS app on the Detective's phone. The first few minutes of the journey were spent in tense silence- the two of them were heading into the case pretty much blind. A fact which hadn't escaped either of them. Just as the tension was beginning to reach almost stifling levels, Gavin broke the silence.

"Music?" he suggested.

"I'd like that." Connor agreed.

"What are you in the mood for?" Gavin questioned.

"I'd like to hear something by Queen. You mentioned yesterday that you prefer their style of music." Connor smiled.

"I can work with that." Gavin straightened up.

Moving quickly, whilst keeping a close eye on the road, Gavin tapped on his phone, which had been balanced precariously on the dashboard. A few seconds later, he sat back, just as the starting tones of a pleasant melody began to fill the vehicle. Choosing to remain silent, Connor listened intently to the music, vaguely aware of the Detective's eyes upon him- likely anticipating his reaction.

When the vocals kicked in, he found himself pleasantly surprised.

 _She keeps her Moet et Chandon in her pretty cabinet…_

"This is-" Connor started.

"Just listen, dipshit." Gavin interrupted, smiling to indicate there was no malice behind the former insult.

Surprised by the Detective's eagerness, Connor complied, settling in to listen as the song continued. He soon found that he understood why Gavin liked this particular band. They were a far cry from Frank Sinatra, who Connor was most fond of, but they were still impressive musicians in their own right.

 _She's a Killer Queen. Gunpowder, gelatin._

 _Dynamite with a laser beam- guaranteed to blow your mind anytime._

As he caught Gavin mouthing silently along to the song, Connor found the ache in his chest returning tenfold. He didn't take his eyes off of Gavin for the rest of the journey. Seeing the normally stoic and cold Detective idly bopping his head and mouthing lyrics he clearly knew by heart was oddly endearing.

It was clear that something fundamental had changed in their relationship, after Gavin's sincere apology, and the time they'd spent together the night before. Connor knew that there was still so much they didn't know about one another, and they had a long way to go- but it was a start. It was **something**.

* * *

When they finally pulled into the College's parking lot, having been delayed by the ever present traffic in Detroit, Connor found himself disappointed. There was something oddly beautiful in the simplistic domesticity of their car journey.

The way Gavin mouthed the lyrics and tapped his fingers on the wheel, following the beat…the way his face flushed red whenever he caught Connor staring. It was idyllic, perhaps more emphasized that it was likely only the calm before the storm.

Or perhaps what exacerbated the disappointment was how close he'd been to the Detective throughout the journey.

How their fingers had brushed over each other numerous times, before they both looked away with flushed faces- which had brought back the ache in Connor's chest.

"Connor?" Gavin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" Connor cleared his throat, attempting to appear more collected than his processors felt.

"We're here, dipshit." Gavin tilted his head towards his door.

"Right." Connor exhaled.

"Come on." Gavin started undoing his seat belt.

"Wait." Connor spoke up, continuing when Gavin turned to face him. "Why are we here?"

"You know-" Gavin paused. "Why we're taking this course?"

"We join the class not long after two people go missing, and we are older than the other students." Connor explained. "We should be prepared for any questions others may ask."

"Makes sense." Gavin agreed.

"If we're living together, it would make sense for our stories to be linked in some way." Connor continued. "We agreed that for the purpose of this case, we attended the same Private School."

"I remember." Gavin nodded slightly, indicating for Connor to continue.

"Perhaps we were attending another College to take a course which would lead to a viable career." Connor carried on. "In accounting, or another profitable business."

"But we figured fuck it. Decided to try something different." Gavin interjected.

"That could work." Connor agreed. "Attending a private school would suggest that we come from a wealthy background. Which may lead to questions about our personal lives."

"Fuck." Gavin leant back. "Alright. We come from rich parents, met in private school."

"Which still leaves us-" Connor started.

"And our parents aren't in the picture anymore." Gavin interrupted. "Which is true."

"I wasn't aware your parents had passed away-" Connor started, surprised by the Detective's blunt answer.

"They haven't." Gavin interrupted. "Assholes might as well be dead."

"Gavin, I'm-" Connor started.

"Moving on." Gavin cleared his throat.

"I'm concerned-" Connor tried speaking up.

"Connor." Gavin locked eyes with him.

He wanted to know why the Detective was so adamantly opposed to talking about anything relating to family, but Connor could see from the pained look in Gavin's eyes that it wasn't the time or place. It brought back the ache in Connor's chest, seeing the years of hurt in the Detective's gaze, but he managed to refocus on the case- albeit with difficulty.

It would have to add itself to the list of mysteries still surrounding Gavin.

Mysteries that would hopefully, in time, be solved.

"What about a social presence?" Connor spoke cautiously, hoping that his voice masked a mixture of concern and disappointment.

"Keep to ourselves." Gavin answered bluntly.

"That might be best. The less lies there are, the easier it will be to maintain our cover." Connor concluded. "I believe that covers everything we need to start the case."

"Forgot something." Gavin opened up the glove compartment.

Inside was his gun, the standard issue holster, several unused magazines- and a familiar golden badge. As he took in the items, Connor realised their dilemma, mind drifting to his own weapon concealed in one of his clothing bags. If they brought in the weapons and managed to come face to face with a suspect, that would more than likely attempt to flee, a gun could quickly resolve the situation.

On the other hand, no matter how careful they were, there was always the possibility that their guns could be discovered- and the case would collapse before it had even begun. Their badges, on the other hand, were far easier to discreetly tuck away.

After a moment of weighing up the pros and cons, and running countless simulations in his processors, Connor came to a conclusion.

"We should leave our weapons here." Connor began. "Our badges can be concealed with greater ease, and are less likely to be discovered."

"Doesn't feel right." Gavin pulled out his badge, pausing for a moment to look at his gun.

"No, it doesn't. But if discovered…" Connor let his words tail off into silence.

"I know." Gavin exhaled slowly, closing the glove compartment, and pocketing his badge. "Alright. Let's get a move on."

Almost mirroring Gavin's movements, Connor concealed his own badge in a zippered pocket inside his jacket- before bending down to pick up the shoulder bag he'd paired with his chosen outfit. After exchanging glances with the Detective, and confirming that they were both ready, he unbuckled his belt and stepped out of the car. Once outside, he leaned casually against the vehicle, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

Glancing back, he saw Gavin exhaling slowly and retrieving a shoulder bag, before also exiting the car. As he did so, Connor forced himself to avert his eyes. Though he'd have liked nothing more than to stare unashamedly at the Detective's behind, he knew that there were more important things he had to focus on.

Though he disliked directing his attention away from Gavin, Connor managed to, looking away as he crossed his arms- hoping that his nonchalant appearance masked yet another internal struggle.

He didn't even realise Gavin had started walking towards the College until the Detective called after him. Startled by the sound of his name being shouted, Connor looked around wildly. Once he spotted Gavin some distance away, standing with crossed arms and a minor expression of annoyance, he immediately calmed.

Quickly, Connor caught up, crossing the distance between them in a matter of moments.

"Something wrong?" Gavin questioned, as they began walking side by side through the parking lot.

"No." Connor answered quickly, inwardly grimacing at how unconvincing he sounded.

"Sure about that, dipshit?" Gavin pursued.

"I'm okay." Connor insisted, willing his voice not to waver.

He couldn't tell the Detective that he was the reason behind the distraction. Even if he had managed to get Gavin to accept a few flirtatious comments, it was certainly not the right time to act upon those words. No matter how much he wanted to, it wasn't the time, and with the case there was simply too much at stake.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, Connor didn't even realise Gavin had disappeared from his side, not until he turned to talk to the Detective. Frowning, he glanced around, finding his processors immediately at ease when he saw the other man standing a few paces behind.

Confused by the look of wonder on Gavin's face, Connor followed the direction of his gaze, back around to in front of him- and immediately understood.

On the edges of the parking lot, they could see the College in all it's luxurious splendor. It was enough to give even Connor's advanced processors a reason to stall. Beyond the well maintained parking area, stood a complex that looked unlike anything else in Detroit. Several large structures with delicate architectural design centered themselves around a vast expanse of freshly cut grass.

Amongst the grass were meticulously maintained patches of flowers, all in vibrant colours that accentuated the natural beauty around them. Shading the meadow-like expanse from the edges were old, towering trees, their filter of leaves creating dappled light on the ground below. Snaking through the grass and trees, circling round the patches of flowers, was a stone pathway- shining as if it were brand new.

The only artificial structure in the grassy area was a large fountain in the centre, all carved cherubs and incredible detailing. With the statuesque cherubs emitting glimmering water into the circular pool beneath them, the fountain served to give the meadow an almost ethereal appearance.

Coupled with the older architecture of the buildings themselves, it was an oasis from the angular modern architecture and technological advancements of the city- with the only exceptions being a few digital notice boards dotted around the campus.

And the various phones and tablets being carried by the dozens of people milling about.

"It's…impressive." Connor remarked, after a moment.

"Not bad." Gavin admitted, catching up.

"But there appears to be no security." Connor realised. "Even though there are two missing persons."

"Doesn't sit right." Gavin nodded slightly. "Fuck. Even without the missing kids, you'd think they'd have something."

"You'd think so." Connor agreed. "I'm sure the College President will be able to explain the reason why."

"Maybe." Gavin shrugged. "Should keep our guards up, just in case. I'll watch your back."

"Then I will watch yours." Connor slightly emphasized his words.

Finding himself enjoying the slight flush which crossed Gavin's face, as a result of his words, Connor felt the ache in his chest return. After giving himself a moment to collect his thoughts once more, he refocused, and the two of them resumed walking.

As they did so, Connor began to run several theories through his processors, wondering why there was no semblance of security despite the fact that two students were missing.

With numerous ideas swirling in the back of his mind, he became almost trapped in his thoughts. Engrossed in many theories, he didn't even realise he'd begun to walk ahead of Gavin again- until he unceremoniously bumped into someone.

Hearing the sound of someone cursing snapped Connor out of his thoughts, and he looked down, to see a young red-haired woman picking her digital tablet off of the ground. Immediately realising his mistake, he spoke up.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Connor apologised.

"It's ok." the young woman smiled, looking up at him through shining green eyes. "The case protected it."

As she gestured to the thick rubber casing around the device, Connor felt a sense of relief wash over him- it wouldn't have done their case any favours if the College's first impression of them was him breaking another student's' property.

"You're sure it's not damaged?" Connor pursued, still concerned.

"It's fine." the woman tucked the tablet into her shoulder bag, before adjusting her coat. "Really."

"I still walked into you. I'm-" Connor insisted.

"Please, stop apologising. It's fine." the woman smiled, before tilting her head slightly. "I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a new student?"

"Yes, I'm starting today." Connor confirmed.

"Oh, great! You're going to love it here." the woman enthused, before holding out her left hand. "I'm Laura. Laura Woodstock. It's great to meet you…"

"Connor." Connor shook her hand, waiting for a moment afterwards before he stepped back.

"Just Connor?" Laura raised an eyebrow.

Before she could continue, forcing Connor to come up with a false surname, Gavin thankfully caught up.

"Who's this?" Gavin asked.

"Laura Woodstock." Laura offered her hand.

"Gavin." Gavin answered simply, returning the handshake quickly, before folding his arms.

"'Just Gavin'. And 'just' Connor." Laura sounded amused. "I won't press you for details. A Lot of people here go by false names. Famous parents, stuff like that- so I won't judge."

"I appreciate that." Connor smiled.

"No problem." Laura looked at Gavin. "Are you starting today as well?"

"I am." Gavin frowned slightly.

"So you two know each other?" Laura prompted.

"We do." Connor admitted. "We're…"

"Friends." Gavin answered quickly. "Just friends."

"I see." Laura smiled again, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "What courses are you two going to be taking?"

"Just the Love in Literature course." Gavin shrugged.

"Why just the one?" Laura frowned.

"I don't like being interrogated." Gavin looked away.

"Sorry, I tend to get excited when I meet new people. Most of us have been here for a while. We haven't had anyone new…" Laura frowned. "Oh. You're taking their place."

"Their place?" Connor feigned innocence.

"Damian and Kaitlyn." Laura answered.

"Did you know them?" Gavin asked, making sure to keep a neutral expression.

"Not very well. They kind of kept to themselves, but they seemed nice." Laura shrugged. "Shame about their families."

"Why would you say that?" Connor prompted.

"Professor Englund told us they left because there was some kind of problems at home, and wanted to help their parents out. He mentioned some kind of illness, I think." Laura explained. "So you two must be taking their place."

"I don't see it as taking their place. We're…" Connor grimaced.

"It's ok. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…" Laura bit her lip. "I tend to overshare."

"Don't worry about it." Gavin spoke sincerely.

"Oh, that's good. Would be awkward if you decided to take it the wrong way." Laura exhaled slowly.

"Why would it be awkward?" Connor asked.

"Well, I'm taking the Love in Literature course too. So it'd be super awkward if we ended up not liking each other." Laura explained.

"We're on the same course?" Gavin prompted.

"Yes. I have to say, you picked the best one." Laura smiled again. "Would you like me to show you where the President's office is? I imagine you'll need to see him before you start."

"I think we can find our way there." Gavin spoke quickly.

"Oh." Laura looked disappointed, before shaking her head and smiling again. "Well, I'll see you two there! It was great to meet you both!"

"Thank you. It was good to meet you as well." Connor returned the smile.

Brightening, Laura offered her hands to each of them in turn, giving another firm handshake before dashing off. After watching her leave, ensuring that she was out of earshot, before moving on, Connor spoke up.

"Is something wrong?" Connor turned to glance at Gavin, as they resumed walking.

"Just don't think we should tell anyone too much." Gavin shrugged, in an effort to appear nonchalant.

"You seem upset. Is there something else on your mind?" Connor pursued.

"She, uh…fuck." Gavin cleared his throat. "Was giving you this look."

"I'm not sure I know-" Connor started.

"Forget I said anything, Connor." Gavin sped up.

"Gavin-" Connor had to jog to catch up.

"Just drop it, dipshit." Gavin continued speed walking.

As the Detective moved further away, Connor noticed a distinct red blush covering the man's face, and felt the ache in his chest grow. Before he could even begin to connect the dots, and discern why Gavin had reacted so strongly to Laura's friendly and non threatening presence, Connor saw the Detective getting further and further away.

Choosing to place the thoughts at the back of his mind, to process them when he next had a moments peace, Connor picked up the pace- and ran to catch up with Gavin. Before he could speak, Gavin began to talk.

"Fowler send you that map?" Gavin questioned, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"He did. I've downloaded it, so we should be able to find our way." Connor answered.

"Let's get a move on, then." Gavin nodded slightly.

* * *

When they entered the largest building on campus, which they subsequently found on the map to be the main section of the College, Connor and Gavin found themselves stunned into silence once more. The foyer was vast, and almost opulent in the way it was decorated, much like the lush green area outside.

Dark brown, polished wood floors were complimented by strategically placed red couches- covered by gold silk cushions that glimmered in the light and radiated luxury. Paintings in ornate frames hung on the walls, matched by numerous photographs in similar secure gilding. Matching the paintings were numerous sculptures, placed throughout the foyer.

The reception area itself was just as rich- all marbled desktops and expensive computers. It was unlike anything Connor had ever seen, and judging by the look on Gavin's face, the display of riches was having a similar effect on the Detective.

Before he could begin to remark on their surroundings, Connor saw Gavin shake his head slightly.

"Rich assholes." Gavin kept his voice down.

"I'm not certain I'd use that term in public." Connor frowned.

"Just having some fun." Gavin raised an eyebrow, before tilting his head towards the large, semicircular reception desk. "Come on, Connor."

As they approached the reception area, an elderly woman looked up from the computer she was furiously typing on- and smiled at them.

"Welcome to Cornwell College." the woman spoke up as they came to stand opposite. "My name's Mary, is there something I can help you two with?"

"We're starting on the Love in Literature course today." Connor found himself smiling.

"Do you go by Connor, and Gavin?" Mary glanced at Gavin, before focusing on Connor once more.

"Yes. The College President is expecting us." Connor answered.

"Of course." Mary smiled. "If you'll hold for a moment, I'll call his Secretary."

After speaking into a device curling round her ear, Mary turned to face the two of them- expression one still of welcoming warmth.

"She'll be with you in a minute or two." Mary explained.

"Appreciate it." Gavin acknowledged.

"You're very welcome." Mary paused for a moment, in thought. "You two managed to get the only free spaces on that course."

"We did?" Connor convincingly feigned innocence. "I wasn't aware that the class was almost full."

"It's very popular with Literature and Arts students." Mary nodded. "It's a shame Mr Damian and Miss Kaitlyn had to leave College to attend to family matters."

"Family matters?" Connor gently pursued.

"Something about an illness. It's quite strange that both their families suffered at the same time, but the world does work in mysterious ways." Mary cleared her throat. "I'm sure you two will enjoy the course- I took it myself, when I was in attendance here."

"You took the course?" Gavin asked.

"I did. And it was wonderful. We studied such a diverse collection of literary marvels…" Mary's voice tailed off as she became lost in thought. It took her a moment, before she spoke up again. "Ah! There's the Secretary now!"

Following Mary's gaze, Connor and Gavin turned to the right, and saw an intimidating, middle aged woman approaching. Clutching a large and expensive tablet, she made her arrival audible by the almost painful sounding clack of her heels against the polished floors- suit clean and almost impossibly pressed; not a single crease in sight.

She was the complete opposite of Mary, her expression so stern that it served to send chills down Connor's artificial spine.

It was oddly reminiscent of the way that the Wayne's had looked at him- but Connor quickly pushed that thought into the very depths of his processors. He couldn't start drifting off on those thoughts. Though it was painful, he managed to push the disturbing mental image out of his mind- for the time being.

"Mary." the woman paused a few feet away. "I'll take it from here."

"Of course, Sandra." Mary forced a smile, before turning to look at Gavin and Connor. "Enjoy your first day!"

"We will!" Connor offered a small wave in her direction.

"Follow me." Sandra turned, and began walking briskly in the direction she'd first come from.

Exchanging concerned glances, Connor waited until Gavin forced an awkward smile before proceeding- frown making it clear that the Detective had come to a similar conclusion. Knowing that they'd have to address the issue of the woman's cold nature later, when they examined their findings, Connor forced himself to refocus- bolstered by the slight smile that Gavin had offered; however awkward it was.

"I'm certain you're already attempting to discern something from me." Sandra spoke, without ever looking back.

"We weren't-" Connor started.

"I'd prefer to keep our contact to a minimum, Detective Anderson." Sandra spoke firmly, glancing around to ensure they were alone, before continuing. "Just because our colleges' President has seen fit to hire an android, doesn't mean I have to agree with that"

"The fuck does that-" Gavin started.

"It's alright." Connor placed a hand on the Detective's shoulder. "I've heard worse."

Though he couldn't express it at that moment, Connor still felt the sting of her words- more at the vitriol in her voice than the words themselves. He had certainly heard worse, but that didn't lessen their effect in any way.

Taking a deep breath, although he already knew it wouldn't dampen his nerves, Connor forced himself to refocus- just in time to catch Sandra's response.

"I can't imagine why." Sandra spoke sarcastically.

"Should watch your tone." Gavin warned.

As the Detective defended him, in the same determined way that he'd shielded him the day before, Connor felt the ache in his chest grow tenfold- and was unable to hold back the smile on his face which appeared as a response.

"You may be working on our missing students, but you have no authority." Sandra warned, glancing backward. "Certainly not over me, at least."

"You-" Gavin seethed, anger practically radiating off of him.

"We're here." Sandra interrupted, stopping in front of a large, double set of carved wooden doors. "He's expecting you, so I'd head in immediately. I'll be next door. Should you…require my assistance."

"I think we can handle it." Gavin retorted.

"That remains to be seen." Sandra rolled her eyes. "I do hope you find our missing students. Do not mistake this for a lack of concern."

"Could have fooled me." Gavin shrugged.

"I'd advise you to watch your tone as well." Sandra echoed Gavin's earlier words. "Have a good day."

As she turned and walked away, expression remaining cold and unfeeling, Gavin moved closer to Connor- waiting until she was out of earshot before speaking up.

"Think you could scan her?" Gavin kept his voice down.

"I can, but I don't understand why-" Connor started.

"Something's not right with her." Gavin explained.

Frowning, Connor thought for a moment, but eventually decided to trust in Gavin's judgement; focusing on Sandra. As he did so, he saw scores of information cropping up in the corners of his vision; information that immediately set off warnings in the corners of his vision.

"Don't keep me in suspense, Connor." Gavin spoke up.

"I can determine her name, age, and home address…" Connor frowned.

"And?" Gavin pursued.

"Her social media page indicates she is involved with several hate groups." Connor examined the information further. "The hate seems to be directed towards androids."

"Not surprised." Gavin frowned. "Can't we take her into the station? Thought those groups got taken down."

"The pages have been deactivated." Connor realised. "There is nothing to suggest that she continues to support anti-android groups."

"Nothing on the Internet." Gavin prompted.

"She may be meeting with these groups in person, as opposed to online." Connor agreed. "But without any real evidence, we can't bring her in for questioning."

"Fuck." Gavin ran his hands down his face, before slipping them back into his jeans' pockets once more. "Are you-"

"I'm fine, Gavin." Connor interrupted quickly.

"Sure about that?" Gavin pursued.

"I've-" Connor paused, before exhaling slowly. "We should move on."

Before the Detective could object, Connor knocked on the colossal double doors in front of them- before quickly stepping back. After spending a few moments in an awkward silence, they saw the doors opening- and were greeted by the face of a smiling and balding old man in an expensive navy suit. The College's President.

At first, Connor was unnerved by the smile, wondering how he could be in high spirits when two of his students were missing, but then he caught sight of the man's blue eyes. They were bloodshot, and tired, framed by dark bags that betrayed he'd had many sleepless nights.

It wasn't what Connor was expecting, given that they'd been told the man wanted to deal with the situation as discreetly as possible. But he couldn't find anything alarming, even after a thorough scan- and so he returned the smile.

"Detectives." the President nodded slightly to each of them in turn. "Please, come in."

After glancing backwards, and exchanging silent looks of confirmation with Gavin, Connor followed the man into the office. It was just as opulent and lavish as the reception area, but held a much more warm and welcoming atmosphere. Numerous family photos were on display, as well as several fading cards and chipped statuettes.

It resembled a home office more than a business room, but Connor instantly felt more at ease than he had on the way in.

Judging by the relaxed way that Gavin examined the room, he was having similar thoughts. It was so vastly different from the rest of the College, but not in a bad way. In some ways, it reminded Connor of his own desk- back at the Precinct.

Though his desk wasn't made of solid oak wood. And his chair definitely wasn't as comfortable. The windows weren't made of stained glass murals either.

"Have a seat." the President gestured to two plush armchairs opposite his desk, before taking a seat himself. "I apologise if Sandra made any unnecessary comments. I'd find a replacement, but as you know, our situation here is…delicate."

As soon as the two of them had sat down, Connor glanced in Gavin's direction, beginning to regret that he'd been dismissive of the Detective's concerns towards him- only to be stunned into silence.

The light shining through the multicoloured, stained glass windows was hitting Gavin at an impossibly perfect angle; highlighting every part of the face that Connor had found himself falling for.

Shaking his head, Connor turned round, and forced his warring processors to focus on the College President, though it was more difficult than he'd ever admit. The older man was waiting patiently, hands clasped on the desk in front of him- wearing a weary smile.

"I appreciate you taking on this case." the President began. "It's very important that we find our missing students."

"Is it?" Gavin leaned forward.

"Gavin?" Connor was surprised.

"I beg your pardon?" the President spluttered.

"You said it's important." Gavin continued. "Our Captain told us that they'd gone missing over the past month. If they were so important, why wait?"

"We…" the President sighed. "Can I be honest, Detective?"

"Please." Gavin made a noncommittal gesture.

"The parents were attempting to find the children themselves." the President began. "I believe they thought drawing unnecessary attention to the whole debacle could have negative consequences."

"But they were unsuccessful." Connor surmised.

"Indeed. So they approached me, asked if I would contact the Detroit Police Department." the President continued.

"Why not come to us directly?" Connor questioned.

"It pains me to say this, but they…are resentful." the President sighed.

"Why the f-" Gavin caught himself. "Why? What did we do?"

"They dislike the fact that androids hold permanent, formally employed positions in the department." the President shook his head. "So they preferred for dealings to be indirect."

"If they…dislike the department, why did they not contact a Private Investigator?" Connor asked.

"It's simple. The police have that much more power. A private investigator could be dismissed. A formal Detective carries far more weight." the President explained.

"What about the donors?" Gavin pursued. "Captain said you didn't want to risk losing their support."

"That is true. I don't want to lose their support. But not for the reasons you've likely concocted." the President spoke quickly. "Without large donations, this College would cease to exist."

"Even with the price of tuition?" Connor questioned.

"Even so. We've got state of the art facilities, and I'd like them to be available to our students for as long as possible." the President explained.

After thinking for a moment, with a dozen thoughts whirring through his processors, Connor turned to Gavin. His expression indicated that he was somewhat satisfied with the response, but the Detective's stiff body language betrayed that he still held suspicions. Trusting in him, Connor leaned back- and allowed Gavin to take charge of the conversation.

"Alright." Gavin leaned forward. "What about security? I didn't see any."

"I thought that installing visible security could bring unnecessary attention, which could lead to my students panicking." the President continued. "Besides, we've always had special devices installed in our doors which, after detecting a firearm, will sound an alarm and alert nearby police."

"What about knives? Pretty easy to hide them." Gavin pursued.

"I've heard of those devices before." Connor turned to Gavin. "They're wirelessly connected to a computer, which determines the presence of weapons through an algorithm which detects certain shapes and calculated weight."

"You know your technology." the President seemed impressed.

"How successful are those devices?" Gavin asked.

"They have a ninety nine point nine success rate." Connor answered.

"We also have a large amount of security cameras installed throughout campus." the President added.

"Okay." Gavin leant back.

"May we proceed to the details of the case?" the President frowned.

Connor could sense that the man was growing tired with the conversation, which was beginning to border on an interrogation- and so readied his most professional expression.

Remaining calm and collected, he allowed a small smile to make its way onto his face, and exhaled slowly before speaking.

"Of course. My partner was just being thorough. We didn't mean to cause any offence." Connor spoke sincerely.

"I didn't take offence, but I appreciate your words." the President smiled. "Now, where would you like to start?"

"Were the students last seen on campus?" Gavin questioned.

"Yes, how did you know?" the President seemed surprised.

"We didn't." Gavin answered simply.

"Then-" the President started.

"Asked us to go undercover, here." Gavin explained. "Wouldn't ask that unless this is where they were last seen."

"I see." the President paused for a moment, in thought, before continuing. "Did the parents not tell you?"

"They were…opposed to aiding our investigation." Connor spoke tactfully.

"Took offence to my partner being an android." Gavin added. "Lawyered up. Won't tell us anything."

"Well, I can assure you that I don't share their views." the President spoke quickly.

"It's alright." Connor smiled again.

"If the parents don't give a-" Gavin caught himself again, hands clenching into fists. "If they don't care about their own kids going missing, why do you?"

"I've met the Wayne's a few times, as well as Miss Kaitlyn's family. They always struck me as…rather cold. I don't like to speak like that of my students families…but I'm afraid it's the truth." the President carefully explained. "I suppose I took it upon myself to care, in their stead."

"Which is why you're continuing the investigation." Connor surmised.

"Precisely." the President nodded.

"I see. They're lucky to have someone who's so concerned." Connor spoke up.

"I'm glad you agree." the President smiled.

"Is there anything else you can share with us?" Connor prompted.

"Not much, I'm afraid." the President sighed. "They were going home from the Love in Literature course on a Friday, a few weeks ago."

"And?" Gavin pursued.

"Our cameras show them walking into one of the lecture halls, and then…nothing." the President. "They disappeared."

"Despite the fact you installed security cameras throughout the building?" Connor frowned.

"It's as if they knew where the cameras were." the President reached into a drawer on his desk, before producing a flash drive. "Here's the footage I have of the day they went missing. I've also included all of their appearances for up to a month prior."

"Thank you." Connor accepted the drive, carefully sliding it into a zippered pocket in his jacket. "This may help us."

"I'm sorry I don't have more for you." the President exhaled slowly.

"Is it possible you could mark on our map, where the lecture hall they disappeared from is located?" Connor enquired.

"Of course." the President pulled a tablet out from another drawer, and tapped on it rapidly. "I've also marked where our security devices are hidden."

"We appreciate it." Connor focused on the device, connecting wirelessly.

As a swath of code rushed into his head, he allowed his processors a few moments to catch up. Once a few moments had passed, and the information had stabilised in his code, Connor turned back towards the college President.

"Is there anything else you can think of which could help our investigation?" Connor prompted.

"Unfortunately, no." the President sighed.

"I can think of something." Gavin spoke up.

"Anything to help." the President spoke earnestly.

"Think you could talk to their parents?" Gavin suggested. "Might listen to you."

"I can try, but of course I can't promise anything." the President nodded. "Now, as we've covered the unfortunate lack of information, we should get started on your enrolment- false as it is."

"We've discussed a believable backstory, and have decided to hold on to our first names." Connor spoke up.

"Why is that?" the President seemed surprised.

"The less lies we have to come up with, the easier it will be to maintain our cover." Connor explained. "We've also decided to state that we attended a private school prior to our enrollment."

"Alright, that makes sense." the President tapped on his digital tablet. "I've been able to create false education records and names. Technology isn't my strong suit, but things are so advanced nowadays, if doesn't really matter."

"Schedules?" Gavin prompted.

"As you're only taking the one course, it's a lot easier for me to create those for you. What do you plan to do with the time in between classes?" the President enquired.

"We'll take a look around, see if there's anything you missed." Gavin shrugged.

"Alright." the President smiled tiredly. "Here."

As the President reached into yet another drawer, and produced two expensive tablets, Connor found it hard to contain his surprise.

"We can't accept these." Connor tried refusing.

"Please, I insist. It has your schedules, and unfiltered access to our records. Surely it will help you in your investigation?" the President frowned.

"It will." Connor agreed. "You've already been extremely generous."

"You're going to be looking for my students. It's the least I can do." the President offered the tablets again. "You'll find your schedules and details of your new identities on here."

Exchanging confused glances with Gavin, Connor waited until he nodded his approval; before turning back round and gently taking one of the offered tablets. As Gavin examined his own with some degree of interest, Connor looked back up- to face the President.

"We appreciate your cooperation." Connor managed a smile.

"Please, like I said, it's the least I can do. That reminds me…I'm pleased to see you made use of the card I provided." the President seemed a little smug, but quickly returned to a neutral expression. "Also, is the apartment to your liking?"

"Haven't seen it yet." Gavin grimaced, realising the bluntness of his words. "Had to pack a few things."

"We'll be moving in tonight, once we've completed our first day." Connor continued.

"You'll love it. It's one of my own apartments, a spare really- but it should be quite the step up from where your department may have placed you." the President nodded, before checking the gilded digital watch on his right wrist. "The first Love in Literature class starts in roughly fifteen minutes. Would you like me to get the two of you a guide? They could give you a tour afterwards."

"We'll be able to find our own way." Connor smiled. "I appreciate the thought."

"Are you sure?" the President prompted.

"We're sure." Gavin tucked his new tablet into his bag.

"Alright then. Let me show you two to the door." the President smiled, before getting to his feet.

Choosing to let the older man lead the way, Connor waited until he crossed the room, before rising to his feet. Staying close to Gavin's side, he tactfully hid his new tablet away in his own bag. Once the two of them had made their way across the room, and were standing in the open doorway, Connor turned back round- and faced the College President once more.

"If you think of anything else-" Connor started.

"I'll be sure to inform you." the President spoke quickly. "I hope your first day goes well, and I look forward to learning of any progress."

As soon as the older man disappeared back into the office, closing the intimidating doors behind him, Connor turned round to talk to Gavin- only to find the Detective quickly walking away.

Noting the hurried movements, Connor picked up the pace, almost having to jog to keep up. Once the two of them were walking side by side again, he spoke up.

"Is something wrong?" Connor asked quietly.

"Turn off your tablet." Gavin spoke bluntly. "I turned mine off."

"Why-" Connor started.

"Just do it, dipshit." Gavin stopped, crossing his arms.

"Alright." Connor frowned, before reaching into his bag to deactivate the new device. "I've turned off the tablet. Is something wrong, Gavin?"

"I don't buy it." Gavin turned to face him.

"I don't follow." Connor was confused.

"You don't find that asshole suspicious?" Gavin seemed surprised.

"He was eager to assist-" Connor tried speaking.

"Too eager." Gavin interrupted. "Parents don't give a shit, but he's cooperating?"

"It…" Connor paused for a moment, several new thoughts whirring through his processors.

"He's given us a card, an apartment, and those tablets." Gavin continued. "Fuck. Just think we should be careful with what we tell him."

"Alright." Connor nodded.

"Alright?" Gavin frowned.

"I trust you. If you believe his behaviour is suspicious, I trust your judgement." Connor explained.

"You trust me." Gavin seemed surprised, again. "Even after-"

"You apologised. Even if you hadn't chosen to do so, I know you're an excellent Detective." Connor smiled.

When Gavin's face flushed red at his words, Connor felt the ache in his chest- which had dulled during their conversation with the College President- return with full force. Feeling his thirium pump run faster as a result, Connor did his best to keep a calm smile- not wanting Gavin to know what that red blush did to his processors.

Not yet, Connor told himself. It wasn't the time, or place.

Not yet.

"Come on." Gavin cleared his throat. "Lead the way. Can check out the lecture hall after class"

"Very well, Detective." Connor allowed himself to emphasise the title, finding it hard not to smile when Gavin blushed harder as a result.

As the two of them began walking to class, they slipped into a companionable silence, one Connor once wouldn't have thought was possible to share between them. Smiling slightly, Connor glanced downward, and saw Gavin's right arm hanging casually at his side- as opposed to his left being tucked into his jeans pockets. Finding himself examining the Detective's hand, Connor found himself tempted to reach out- but stopped at the last second.

He had to focus.

They had a case to solve.

* * *

After walking a solid fifteen minutes through the main building, Connor stopped outside another large set of double doors- and waited for Gavin to catch up. The Detective wasn't far behind, but Connor had instinctively begun to pick up the pace when he noted that they'd run out of time. It was a habit he'd always seemed to maintain, even before becoming a deviant.

Standing casually, arms crossed, Connor turned back- just in time to see Gavin catch up. The man looked less than happy, having had to practically run to catch up, and Connor found it difficult to hold back his laughter.

Before he could begin to apologise for going ahead, Gavin beat him to it- the Detective running his fingers through his hair when he finally skidded to a halt.

"This it?" Gavin cleared his throat, tucking his hands into his pockets in an attempt to appear more at ease.

"According to the map and schedule provided to us." Connor confirmed. "Are you ready to go inside?"

"Always hated introducing myself in class." Gavin groaned, before shaking his head and grinning. "Come on, Connor."

At the Detective's confirmation, Connor placed a hand on the half of the door in front of him, and braced himself. Allowing himself a moment to gather his thoughts, he took several deep breaths, though he knew the motions held little more than a placebo effect. Once satisfied that he'd managed to get his steadily building nerves under control, he put pressure on the door- and pushed it open.

When they entered the room, Connor was instantly surprised at the sheer size of the lecture hall. Aside from the luxurious desks and chairs, it more resembled an auditorium; even hosting a stage and microphone podium with a large screen behind it.

As he examined the room with great interest, Connor took notice of the dark haired, tanned man standing at the podium- and the fact that every seat was full.

Becoming aware of the sheer amount of faces now staring at himself and Gavin, Connor forced his stress levels back down. He couldn't afford to show his nerves- any small detail could risk jeopardizing their cover.

"Ah! You must be our two new students!" the man at the podium, dressed in a floral suit, spoke enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry we're late. We had to find our way here." Connor explained, as he approached the man- Gavin close behind.

"Not a problem!" the man spoke cheerily. "Welcome, to Love in Literature!"


	6. First Day (Part 1)

**Summary:**

Connor and Gavin experience their first day on the Love in Literature course, and begin their investigation in full. What will they find?

* * *

 **Hey everyone! I know it's been a super long time since the last update, but I am hoping this chapter makes up for it. Should hopefully be a fairly lengthy chapter. In this we start to see some of the plot unfold, so that should be fun!**

Before we start I want to thank everyone for all of the support thus far- you are all amazing! Let's keep the fandom going!

 _Also, I used Google translate for the foreign languages that Connor speaks, as I have the memory and knowledge of a snail- so apologies if anything reads weird._

 **Major shoutout to caffinateddetective over on Tumblr for reading the aforementioned foreign language section for me, and giving me feedback. And also for cheering me on- it means a lot! Also, shoutout to the following tumblr users:**

 _glitchgamingirl_  
 _narcophilia_  
 _missnowhereteen_  
 _dipdopofthedip_  
 _brighteststarinthesky_

 **There is a number of perspective switches, but those are clearly marked, and each is a fairly good length to avoid too much chaos or confusion.**

I also realise the word count might be a bit intimidating, so I split this chapter into 3 parts. They are all essentially the same chapter, but given that the word count was nearly 30,000 words, I thought splitting it would make it easier to read/follow.

 _So, to be clear, this Part has been split into 3 , because otherwise you'd have to scroll through 65 pages in one sitting._

 **AND THIS IS 1 OF 3!**

One last thing: _latent tech is a term for fingerprint analysts. And fair warning: I haven't beta read this chapter. Like, at all. I'm serious. The idea of working through so many pages after spending so much time writing just…yeah. Not going to happen. I apologise in advance for any mistakes._

 **I'd like to dedicate this part to caffeinateddetective, who I mentioned a few paragraphs ago. They're going through a tough time, and are always there for me and have helped me with LIL for as long as I can remember. So, my friend, this is for you.**

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

As the brightly dressed man offered his cheerful greeting, Connor took the opportunity to scan the room. He would, of course, have to wait until everyone had filed out after class to examine the hall thoroughly- but it didn't hurt to get a head start. Especially as the lives of two young adults were potentially on the line.

With that in his mind, Connor focused intently on the room, and allowed his systems to perform a scan. His code ran through the lecture hall, picking up endless streams of data as it passed through the numerous technological devices connected to the room- data which Connor would be able to examine in further detail later. When there was no chance of himself and Gavin being disturbed. He knew it would take no more than a minute, two at most- but they had just entered the lecture hall, and so were the centre of everyone's attention. A minute of Connor simply standing, and staring, would prove unnerving and unsettling, and would no doubt be an instant giveaway that he and the Detective were not who they claimed to be.

So, he moved quickly, doing a basic run-through of the data to get some sort of idea as to what they would be dealing with. Instantly noting the high level of security; hidden cameras, an almost absurdly perfect level of cleanliness, and clearly marked fire exits, Connor found some of his worries were alleviated. The interior of the school was as well protected as the exterior- just as the college's President had described mere moments ago. For the moment, there wasn't much for him to be concerned about.

Connor hoped that he would feel the same once he'd gone through the more detailed streams of encoded data. As he started pushing the uploading data to the back of his memory cores, to examine later, Connor found darker thoughts pushing their way into his system.

Whilst the heightened level of security was reassuring, to a degree, it also brought new concerns to light. With such extreme measures, a majority of which having seemingly been installed before the students' disappearance, it meant either the students were more skilled than their profiles indicated, or someone with a highly specialized skillset had taken them.

Both scenarios were equally as dangerous, but Connor couldn't focus too much on that in the present moment- he could sense the man on the podium was now focused on him. As was the rest of the room. Something Connor couldn't let continue for too much longer.

Instantly snapping away from the highlighted surroundings of his inner software, and back into the warm colours of reality, Connor allowed a relaxed smile to form on his face. He had to appear at ease, no matter what concerns were swirling in the back of his mind. He'd done this many times before.

Before he could apologise for 'zoning out', as humans would describe it, Connor saw the man in the floral suit smile- and open his mouth to speak again.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?" the man remarked, a sense of awe in his tone.

"It is." Connor replied quickly, not wanting to prolong their time as the room's primary focus.

"You'll thoroughly enjoy your time on this course- you've made an excellent decision!" the man continued, speaking so enthusiastically it almost bordered on…unnerving.

"Sure we have." Gavin spoke up, his tone indicating he was finding the man's exuberant nature just as unnerving as Connor.

"Right." The man on the podium cleared his throat, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Well, I should introduce myself, before I go off on a tangent. I'm Professor Englund, your lecturer for this course."

"Connor." Connor also introduced himself. "This is-"

"Gavin." Gavin spoke simply, offering nothing more.

When the Professor shrugged off Gavin's attitude and offered his hand, Connor shook it- accepting the peaceful gesture whilst ensuring a smile was still firmly fixed on his face. He wasn't entirely certain that the man's enthusiasm was his usual nature- but chose not to dwell on it.

For the time being.

There would be many more opportunities to examine Professor Englund's behaviour in the days to come.

Finding himself smiling brighter when Gavin also shook the man's hand, Connor took the opportunity to look around the room once more- again not spotting anything out of the ordinary.

His initial scans of the room hadn't discovered anything out of the ordinary. It was simply an, albeit extravagantly luxurious, and secure, lecture hall. The classes' crowds didn't raise any alarms either, when Connor ran their faces through his software. There wasn't a single criminal record to be found, which Connor quickly realised could be due, at least in part, to wealthy parents using said wealth to cover up their children's mistakes.

Though he didn't want to think so negatively, especially of people he hadn't even met, Connor knew he had to at least entertain the thought of it- they couldn't afford to leave any stone unturned in the investigation. Not with two lives potentially on the line.

As he scanned over the crowd once more, not wanting to leave anything to chance, he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Laura, the student he and Gavin had met earlier- waving shyly at Connor with a warm smile on her face. Grateful for the one recognizable face, Connor returned the gesture.

Having one student they already knew, however little, could only be of use to the investigation- she would be able to introduce them to the others in the class. Which could potentially lead to information that, however indirectly, could benefit the case. Gaining the trust of those around them was essential to the success of it.

After looking back to professor Englund- just as the man was finishing talking to Gavin, Connor refocused.

They'd already been the centre of attention for far too long- Connor could ascertain as much by simply glancing at Gavin. The Detective looked extremely uncomfortable, something which Connor hadn't expected from someone who projected an almost arrogant amount of confidence on a daily basis. He wanted to ask Gavin if he was alright, but knew his concerns would be better left until they were next alone- where the Detective would be most likely to share an honest answer.

"Is that alright with you?" Professor Englund spoke, drawing Connor's attention once again.

"I-" Connor started, wanting to ask the man to repeat himself.

"It's fine." Gavin interrupted, his tense body language betraying the steely expression on his face.

Before he could even question what the Professor had meant, by his question, Connor found Gavin walking past him- towards the rows of seats and the dozens of eyes upon them.

Quickly following after the Detective, he looked at the rows of students, and soon realised where Gavin was heading.

There were only two seats available in the crowded hall, in the centre, right at the back. Grateful that he and Gavin would be able to blend into the background, Connor followed the Detective.

Idly remembering to smile at Laura as they walked past her row, Connor picked up the pace- quickly catching up to Gavin. He didn't want to lag behind. Every second they spent as the focus of the room was delaying the start of the course, and subsequently, delaying the case.

As they finally took their seats, with Connor sat on the edge of the row, and Gavin between him and a total stranger, Connor opened his mouth to talk to the Detective- before reluctantly closing it again. He just had to make it a few hours until the lecture broke for lunch. Which would be when he could finally discover what had Gavin so on edge.

"Now that our new students are settled in, I would like to begin properly." Professor Englund spoke up, pulling Connor out of his thoughts. "As my regular students know, we concluded our study of Pride and Prejudice last week. I am thoroughly impressed with your work from the past month, and your efforts for our costumed ball."

A series of smiles and hushed whispers rippled through the crowd of students, the reaction seeming to put Gavin more at ease- albeit only a little. His posture was still rigid, a telling giveaway to Connor that he was still less than comfortable. Anyone else would dismiss it as boredom, but Connor knew otherwise. Despite the Detective's rough exterior, he had learned more in the past 24 hours than he ever thought possible- and so Connor could tell that there was more to Gavin's reaction than simple boredom.

"We now start the next chapter in our course." Professor Englund chuckled slightly at his own joke, eliciting some good-natured laughter from his students. "We shall be moving on to something quite different from Pride and Prejudice."

Professor Englund held up a book, which immediately surprised Connor. In the new digital age, books were practically non-existent, having slowly faded out of relevance in the past half-decade. People preferred the convenience of having several hundred books stored on a slim tablet, rather than clumps of dusty books on aging shelves. The decision to retain the novel served to relieve a few of Connor's own concerns. The fact that the Professor chose to remain down a more traditional path told of his nature- that he was perhaps as kindly as he appeared to be.

"Le Fantôme de l'Opéra." Professor Englund spoke once more, taking Connor out of his inner rambling. "Perhaps better known as the timeless musical 'The Phantom of the Opera'."

A title that Connor was familiar with, having downloaded the world's most famous novels after his deviation- wanting to know more of humanity's literature history. He wanted to understand the human mind more, and in doing so, find himself- by discovering what people were able to create. It had proven beneficial, in more ways than one. And, as it turns out, useful to this particular case.

"It is quite a dark novel." Professor Englund spoke. "As I said, a departure from the more idyllic words of Pride and Prejudice- but no less interesting. Has anyone read the novel before? It has several accurate translations readily available."

Not a single hand went up, something which surprised Connor, considering they were on a literature course. One of the most famous novels of all time, with an equally famous musical attached to its name.

The lack of hands from the students gave Connor pause. He considered not raising his hand, as doing so would only make him stand out- but quickly convinced himself. Participating in the class would draw positive reactions from those around them, making it easier to blend in and immerse themselves in the case.

With those thoughts clinging to the back of his mind, Connor raised his right hand- instantly noticing Gavin sitting up to give the lecture his full attention. Something which had Connor find a smile creeping onto his face.

"Connor!" Professor Englund looked relieved. "I'm glad someone has read this masterpiece- I'm not alone!"

The good natured jab drew more laughter from the students- several turning back to smile at Connor, wordlessly welcoming him to the class. Their reactions solidified what Connor had theorized- showing an interest would only be helpful to the investigation.

"For the rest of you who tragically haven't read Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, you are in for quite the journey." Professor Englund sighed happily, holding the book to his chest. "Now, some would consider this book inappropriate for a romantically themed literature course. But I don't. It certainly isn't a typical love story, but that is what makes it so much more interesting than the other books typically assigned to this course."

After allowing the students a few moments to process his words, the Professor spoke up again- pausing to smile at Connor before continuing. It was clear that he appreciated the interest in the novel.

"Now, as the novel is a mere 190 pages, we will progress through this section of the course much faster." Professor Englund continued. "But that means it will only be two weeks until our usual costumed ball."

Before he continued, Professor Englund stopped for a moment to think- looking up at Connor and Gavin before speaking, with a smile still fixed firmly on his face.

"Connor, Gavin, at the end of every book we read in this course, the College hosts a costumed ball." Professor Englund explained. "Themed after the novel. There are no expenses spared- it is always a large event. Which is why we only ask that the students attend in their costumes."

Nodding slightly, to indicate he was listening, Connor smiled- he could see that there was genuine joy and excitement in the Professor's face. It was endearing. Connor hoped he wouldn't find anything when he did a proper scan of him later- it was clear that the man enjoyed his job immensely.

"You may make the costumes yourselves, or purchase them from a tailor- but you are all well aware that personally made costumes lead to higher marks at the end of the course." Professor Englund continued. "Whilst you would all normally have a month of the course to prepare, you will have only two weeks this time around."

Several grumbles made their way through the crowds of students, indicating that they weren't exactly looking forward to the effort of making or obtaining fully tailored costumes in just two weeks. It was quite a monumental task. Connor knew it wouldn't be a problem for himself and Gavin, as he could simply download information on useful crafting techniques and upload them into his systems- but it was clear the two of them would be in the minority in that regard. He suspected many of the students were more focused on literature than the arts.

Which could benefit them- Connor could pass of the crafting skills as his own with relative ease, and offer support to the other students. Support which could potentially lead to engaging dialogue. The slightest sliver of information could turn the tide in their case.

"Now, as the majority of you know, we place the names of the main characters of the novels into a hat- along with many more blank slips." Professor Englund carried on, pulling Connor out of his thoughts once more. "Whoever draws the names of a main character out of the hat wins the right to attend the costumed ball as that character. Everyone else is tragically relegated to side characters and costumes that fit the theme."

More laughter rippled through the hall, causing Connor himself to smile. Glancing sideways at Gavin, Connor was surprised to see a hint of interest in the Detective's eyes.

"Our main characters are Christine Daaé, The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, and of course the titular character- the Phantom himself." Professor Englund spoke up again, looking around the room before focusing on Connor and Gavin. "Connor, Gavin, as you are new to the class, perhaps you'd like to try your chances first?"

Looking to the side, Connor made eye contact with Gavin, who looked less than happy at the prospect of being the centre of attention once more. Just as he was about to open his mouth, to lower his voice and convince the Detective to follow him, Connor found himself stunned- when Gavin smiled slightly and tilted his head in the direction of the Professor. The stark change in his expression, from what it had been mere moments before, stunned Connor. But, much like his concern for the Detective, Connor had to relegate those thoughts to the back of his mind.

Swiftly standing up, he walked as casually as he could down the lecture hall's steps, glancing back to ensure Gavin was following him, before continuing.

Within a few moments, they were standing in front of Professor Englund once more- who was eagerly holding a black top hat towards them. A hat full to the brim with dozens of paper slips. Once again surprised by the man's aversion to technology, and subsequent eccentricity, Connor looked around. When Gavin nodded again, indicating for him to go first, Connor found himself smiling once more- but quickly refocused. He didn't want to be at the forefront for longer than was necessary.

After a moment rummaging around, he pulled out one of the paper slips. After a quick glance around told him that everyone was waiting to see who he would become for the costumed ball, Connor unfolded the piece of paper- and read out the elaborately calligraphed words etched on the inside.

"The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny." Connor read; voice clear enough to be heard around the room.

Whilst there were several unimpressed reactions from the other male students, they were in the minority, soon drowned out by applause from the rest of the room. Their enthusiasm was genuine, serving to alleviate a few of his initial concerns. Offering a smile in return, Connor stepped back, watching closely as Gavin walked up to take his turn. With all his focus on the Detective, Connor waited surprisingly anxiously to discover what Gavin's role would be.

He could think of a character that would suit the Detective, more for the costume than anything else- but Connor decided to keep that to himself. For the moment.

He wasn't left waiting for answers for too long- Gavin took far less time selecting a paper slip; likely because of his desire to step away from the limelight. Connor could somewhat understand, as having dozens of eyes fixated on them would unnerve even the most seasoned Detective. He certainly didn't appreciate it himself, but he was, in a few ways, better equipped to deal with it. Connor had been on many hostage negotiations where he'd been one of the primary focused of people's attention.

Snapping out of his thoughts just as he was stepping closer, to see what was written on the Detective's slip of paper, Connor heard Gavin clear his throat. Pausing where he stood, he waited patiently for the other man to speak.

"Erik." Gavin sounded less than pleased. "The Phantom."

The reaction to Gavin's assigned character was just as enthusiastic, if not more so, than the reaction to Connor's. Connor supposed they were relieved not to be one of the main cast, as they would undoubtedly have the most difficult and more intricate of costumes. Or it could simply be for show, not wanting to start anything in front of the increasingly enthusiastic Professor. Connor hoped it was the former.

"Well, I have to say you two have some extraordinary luck there!" Professor Englund applauded, the rest of the students quickly following suit. "I look forward to seeing what you two come up with!"

As he and Gavin returned to their seats, Connor let his eyes drift over the crowd once more. There was, as he surmised from the earlier reaction, some disgruntled faces. Which Connor could understand- he and Gavin had only just enrolled on the course, and had received the opportunity to become the novel's main characters. These expressions were in the minority, however, for most appeared to be warm and welcoming.

Whilst examining the crowd, Connor made eye contact with Laura, whose face seemed to flush slightly when she locked eyes with him. She waved, and smiled, so Connor decided to put that particular reaction to the back of his mind. He could think on why she had reacted that way later. He had more important things to focus on- the case of course, but also his partner. Who seemed to have returned to a silently agitated state the moment they sat back down.

Knowing the focus would be on the Professor, Connor turned to Gavin. He'd initially intended to wait until later to voice his concerns, but decided to just ask him then and there. He didn't want the Detective to deal with whatever was bothering him on his own. It would be detrimental to the case, and their partnership- they had to be able to trust one another.

Which would have been impossible not two days prior.

"Gavin?" Connor still kept his voice low.

As the Detective turned to face him, Connor found himself smiling once more. The lack of hostility in the man's gaze was a welcome change.

"What?" Gavin asked, a hint of aggression in his tone.

"You seem uncomfortable with our current situation." Connor spoke. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Seemingly surprised by the genuine question, Gavin immediately seemed to relax, all hints of aggression and irritability fading in an instant.

"Just…" Gavin paused, considering his words. "Brings back a lot of memories."

"Good or bad?" Connor asked gently, though he suspected it was the latter.

"Mostly bad." Gavin answered simply.

"I…see" Connor was at a loss for words.

He wasn't sure exactly how to respond- even with all his embedded protocols and files. Connor could simply look up the right way to answer, but no matter how hard he tried, it still wouldn't seem right. He couldn't say he understood, because he hadn't experienced a fraction of what Gavin had. Connor had never been to college, and still had yet to experience many of the things his co-workers had. So, saying he understood would feel…empty.

After a moment of agonizing over what to say, Connor finally came up with what he hoped would be a respectable response.

"I can't say I understand." Connor began, making sure to keep his voice low. "But I'd like to try. If there is something on your mind, I'd like to help."

The look of confusion on Gavin's face quickly melted away, forming a new expression of…something like wonder or amazement. The Detective clearly hadn't anticipated Connor's response.

"You don't have to." Gavin spoke, after a minute or two of silence.

"I'm aware." Connor responded. "But I'm here. If you'd like to talk."

"Well…" Gavin cleared his throat, quickly glancing at their surroundings before continuing. "Maybe later. Coffee?"

"I'd like that." Connor answered genuinely.

Noting how a smile quickly crept onto the Detective's face, Connor found himself smiling once more. It was clear there was a lot bothering Gavin, but the man's willingness to talk was a step in the right direction. Connor found it hard to believe that on the previous morning, they'd been at each other's throats, the same way they had been for months on end.

"Ah, Laura!" the Professor's booming voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.

He'd been so concerned for Gavin that he'd missed out on the majority of what was going on in the lecture hall. Judging by the lack of paper slips in the Professor's hats, most of the students had tried their luck. Concerned that they may have missed something, even if it was only the smallest detail, Connor refocused on the task at hand. However hard it was, he took his mind away from thoughts of his conflicted partner.

Focusing intently, Connor observed Laura walking up to the Professor. As she did so, she turned back- smiling again when she saw Connor looking her way. Offering a small wave, and observing another puzzling reaction, Connor watched as she refocused on the Professor- and took a slip of paper out of the hat.

Absentmindedly noting Gavin leaning forward, Connor waited.

After a moment or two of rummaging through the remaining papers, Laura finally selected a slip- unfolding it quickly. As soon as the paper was unfolded, a warm smile spread across her face, and she turned to look at Connor.

With her eyes focused on him, she read out the words written on her slip.

"Christine Daaé." Laura spoke clearly.

Noting how Gavin immediately tensed up, Connor found himself stunned. Christine was, after all, one of the primary focuses of the entire Phantom novel- but that wasn't what concerned him. Christine's true love interest was The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, the very same character that Connor had been assigned. Knowing it had the possibility to create tension between himself and Gavin, as Laura would undoubtedly want to spend more time with them, Connor took a deep breath- something that was becoming a habit during times of uncertainty.

As Laura sat down, she turned to smile back at Connor, for a moment- before turning back and talking to one of the people sat beside her. Instantly relaxing the moment her eyes turned away, Connor leant back in his chair. When a quick look around the room confirmed that everyone else had taken their turn, he glanced sideways at Gavin, and found the Detective was now sat with a frustrated expression on his face. Before Connor could ask the man what was wrong, the Professor spoke up.

"Well!" Professor Englund placed the hat down, before clapping his hands together enthusiastically. "We have our main cast!"

A ripple of applause went through the room, drawing smiles on the faces of every single student in the lecture hall.

"I look forward to seeing what you all come up with!" the Professor continued. "You can choose your costumes from the novel's descriptions, the musical, or the musical's movie adaptation!"

After allowing everyone a moment to absorb the information, Professor Englund took out his copy of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra- idly running a few fingers down the book's worn spine before continuing.

"We shall read through the Prologue, and a chapter or two this time around, and then discuss how it sets up the rest of the novel thereafter." The Professor looked around the room, before carrying on. "Connor, Gavin, as the two of you are new to this course…perhaps one of you would care to read today's material?"

Fighting back the urge to sigh in exasperation, Connor forced a smile onto his face. When a quick sideways look to his partner revealed that Gavin had tensed up further, if that were even possible, Connor turned back to face Professor Englund. They couldn't refuse the man's offer- it would make them stand out even more than reading to the class.

"I'll do it." Connor spoke up.

"Wonderful. Join me, Connor." The Professor gestured enthusiastically.

Idly glancing back at Gavin, and seeing an expression of gratitude- as well as a new attentiveness- Connor made his way to the front of the room, where the Professor stood. Ensuring that a confident smile remained on his face the whole time, he quickly found his way up- taking the novel when Professor Englund offered it to him. Finding it opened to the Prologue, Connor turned to the Professor. When the enthusiastic man smiled, and indicated for him to start, Connor glanced around the room.

Once he was certain he held everyone's attention, Connor cleared his throat, and began.

"In which the author of this singular work informs the reader how he acquired the certainty that the Opera Ghost really existed." Connor read perfectly. "The Opera ghost really existed. He was not, as was long believed, a creature of the imagination of the artists, the superstition of the managers, or a product of the absurd and impressionable brains of the young ladies of the ballet, their mothers, the box-keepers, the cloak-room attendants or the concierge."

After making his way through the first, and rather lengthy passage, Connor glanced upwards- to see how his reading was being received. Judging by the focused looks on the student's faces, he was leaving a positive impression on the others in the course.

When his eyes locked with Gavin's, and he spotted a fond smile on the man's face, Connor fought to keep a blush away from his face. Connor told himself it was to prevent his skin from flushing blue in front of the group, and giving them away- but he knew he was lying to himself.

Ensuring that the Detective didn't notice was of…equal importance.

They…had to focus on the case.

Focus.

Once he'd collected himself, Connor looked back down at the book, and continued.

"Yes, he existed in flesh and blood, although he assumed the complete appearance of a real phantom; that is to say, of a spectral shade." Connor read clearly. "When I began to ransack the archives of the National Academy of Music, I was at once struck by the surprising coincidences between the phenomena ascribed to the ghost, and the most extraordinary and fantastic tragedy that ever excited the Paris upper classes…"

* * *

As he began reading a new section of the text, Connor allowed himself to become fully immersed in the role he'd been given- finding that the awed silence from the rest of the room bolstered his confidence.

The smile that would break out on Gavin's face whenever Connor looked up, and they locked eyes, was...also a contributing factor to his newfound enthusiasm.

"Meanwhile, Christine Daaé uttered a deep sigh, which was answered by a groan. She turned her head, saw Raoul and started. She looked at the doctor, on whom she bestowed a smile, then at her maid, then at Raoul again-" Connor continued.

"Just a moment, Connor!" Professor Englund interjected.

"Did I read the passage incorrectly?" Connor enquired.

"No, no- quite the opposite! You're a fantastic speaker." The Professor answered quickly. "I just wanted to speak, as we are at a pivotal point in the novel. This is where Christine Daaé and the Vicomte meet in person, for the first time in many years."

"Is there a way you'd prefer me to read?" Connor asked.

"No, as I said, you are quite spectacular. I simply thought that we should add something in, given this pivotal moment." Professor Englund explained. "Laura, would you please join us? I feel the class would benefit for this scene. It may feel more emotional, if it were to feel like a real conversation."

"I see." Connor kept his words brief.

As Laura got up from her seat, Connor let his eyes drift over to Gavin once more. The reaction wasn't something he'd expected, despite knowing that the pairing for the masquerade would cause tension.

He looked, for lack of a better word, jealous- an expression Connor had never seen on the normally stoic Detective.

He'd have to file that with the many other questions he had for Gavin.

The questions he wanted to ask were starting to form a lengthy list.

"Hi." Laura spoke shyly, as she stepped up beside Connor, getting almost uncomfortably close. "Sorry, the Professor only has one copy. We'll have to share."

"That's alright." Connor allowed himself to show a small smile. "Professor, should I read that line again?"

"Yes, definitely- it sets the scene!" Professor Englund gestured for Connor to continue.

"Meanwhile, Christine Daaé uttered a deep sigh, which was answered by a groan. She turned her head, saw Raoul and started. She looked at the doctor, on whom she bestowed a smile, then at her maid, then at Raoul again." Connor read the passage over once more.

"Monsieur, she said, in a voice not much above a whisper." Laura started, glancing briefly up at Connor, and smiling again. "Who are you?"

"Mademoiselle, replied the young man, kneeling on one knee and pressing a fervent kiss on the diva's hand." Connor let himself relax slightly, and turned to face Laura, before continuing. "I am the little boy who went into the sea to rescue your scarf!"

"Christine again looked at the doctor and the maid, and all three began to laugh." Laura read clearly; her own face slightly flushed. "Raoul turned very red and stood up."

"Mademoiselle, he said…" Connor carried on. "Since you are pleased not to recognize me, I should like to say something to you…in private, something very important…"

As he finished his lines, Connor turned to look at Laura once more. Her face was still an interesting shade of red, but she hadn't misread any of her lines. The clarity in her voice carried through the room, and held the classes' attention just as much as Connor had. The reaction told him that she was held in high regard by the rest of the class, meaning she was likely one of the more outspoken students.

"Connor!" Professor Englund spoke, abruptly startling Connor out of his thoughts. "I was just saying what a wonderful job the two of you did, with that segment of the chapter!"

"I-" Connor quickly thought of a response. "Thank you, Professor."

"You're quite welcome!" the Professor clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention, before continuing. "Please, continue!"

Scanning the book's pages, Connor quickly found where he and Laura had left off, waited until she had found her way back to her seat, and resumed reading aloud. Which he was surprised to find he…actually enjoyed.

* * *

"Raoul was left alone. The whole of this part of the theatre was now deserted. The farewell ceremony was no doubt taking place in the foyer of the ballet. Raoul thought that Daaé might go to it and he waited in the silent solitude, even hiding in the favouring shadow of a doorway. He felt a terrible pain at his heart, and it was of this that he wanted to speak to Daaé without delay…"

* * *

"Hardly breathing, he went up to the dressing-room and, with his ear to the door to catch her reply, prepared to knock. But his hand dropped. He had heard A MAN'S VOICE in the dressing-room, saying, in a curiously masterful tone…" Connor paused, when he saw the Professor stand up straight.

"I am sorry to interrupt you again, Connor, but this is the first time we hear the Phantom speak." Professor Englund explained. "Gavin, perhaps you'd care to join us?"

Feeling his thirium pump skip more than a few beats, Connor looked up at Gavin.

The Detective looked like he wasn't sure whether to be happy or pissed off. Connor hoped he was leaning more towards the former. He'd be more comfortable reading with someone he knew better.

Albeit, someone he still had much to learn about.

"I'll do it." Gavin spoke, startling Connor out of his thoughts.

Surprised, Connor watched as the Detective stood up, and nonchalantly walked down the stairs- as if he'd not spent the past half hour wound up with tension.

He wanted to question Gavin's sudden change in demeanour, but Connor knew it wasn't the time.

Not with everyone's eyes on them.

As Gavin took his place, he carefully took the book from Connor- deliberately letting their fingers ghost against one another as he did so.

It took all of Connor's willpower not to go practically iridescent with blue.

"Now we just need our Christine again." Professor Englund spoke up.

Noting how the Detective's shoulders immediately tensed, Connor opened his mouth to speak- but reluctantly put that idea to the back of his mind, as he watched Laura approach them once more.

She quickly took her place on the other side of Connor. Recalling the next few lines, from the quick scan he'd done, Connor took a step back- setting the scene. He knew the Professor would appreciate it, and they needed the man to approve.

He knew these students. And it was clear from the classes atmosphere that they knew their Professor just as well. A strong student-teacher relationship that could provide a wealth of details.

As he taught the class the missing students shared, he could eventually prove instrumental in their solving of the case. Being a teacher, he likely noticed things about his students that others wouldn't pick up on.

"If you narrate, Connor." Professor Englund interrupted Connor's thoughts again. "Once more, from the top- as they say.

"Of course." Connor smiled. "I can recall the rest of the passage."

"Impressive. Please, continue!" the Professor beamed.

"Hardly breathing, he went up to the dressing-room and, with his ear to the door to catch her reply, prepared to knock. But his hand dropped. He had heard A MAN'S VOICE in the dressing-room, saying, in a curiously masterful tone…" Connor let his voice tail off.

"Christine, you must love me!" Gavin read clearly.

Connor was surprised by the amount of effort that the Detective put into his lines- his body language showed that he was clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

It became increasingly clear to Connor that, while Gavin projected well and certainly appeared confident in all respects, there were some things he would avoid at all costs- if he could.

"And Christine's voice, infinitely sad and trembling, as though accompanied by tears, replied…" Connor managed to pick up where he left off.

"How can you talk like that? WHEN I SING ONLY FOR YOU!" Laura spoke earnestly, voice rising with the written emotions.

"Raoul leaned against the panel to ease his pain. His heart, which had seemed gone for ever, returned to his breast and was throbbing loudly. The whole passage echoed with its beating and Raoul's ears were deafened." Connor paused for a moment, before continuing. "Surely, if his heart continued to make such a noise, they would hear it inside, they would open the door and the young man would be turned away in disgrace. What a position for a Chagny! To be caught listening behind a door! He took his heart in his two hands to make it stop."

After letting yet another moment of silence pass, to allow the class time to absorb the passage before continuing, Connor carried on reading.

"The man's voice spoke again…" he read clearly.

"Are you very tired?" Gavin spoke.

"Oh, to-night I gave you my soul and I am dead! Christine replied." Laura glanced back at Connor as she read.

"Your soul is a beautiful thing, child, replied the grave man's voice." Gavin drew her attention once more. "And I thank you. No emperor ever received so fair a gift. THE ANGELS WEPT TONIGHT."

As Gavin finished reading, the Professor clapped his hands once more, but continued applauding- encouraging the rest of the students in the lecture hall to follow suit- rising in volume until the applause was almost deafening.

Connor found it hard to contain his laughter at the Detective's less than amused expression.

Harder still when he pictured how Hank would have reacted to Gavin's performance.

But he soon found himself distracted by the noticeable blush spreading across the Detective's face.

"That was wonderful!" Professor Englund enthused. "I almost wish this were a theatre class- it was like we were there, in the Opera house!"

"Thank you, Professor." Laura smiled sweetly.

"As much as I hate to send you and Gavin to your seats, I'm afraid I must." The Professor sighed. "This next passage only requires one reader."

Connor didn't entirely register the smile that Laura sent his way. He was completely focused on the Detective- whose expression he was far more interested in.

And if he let his eyes wander lower as the man walked away?

Connor would never tell.

* * *

"He stood for ten minutes listening to the gas flaring in the silence of the empty room; lover though he was, he did not even think of stealing a ribbon that would have given him the perfume of the woman he loved." Connor cleared his throat, for appearance more than anything else. "He went out, not knowing what he was doing nor where he was going. At a given moment in his wayward progress, an icy draft struck him in the face. He found himself at the bottom of a staircase, down which, behind him, a procession of workmen were carrying a sort of stretcher, covered with a white sheet."

Glancing back up, to see whether he still had the room's attention, Connor was pleasantly surprised to see everyone still firmly fixated on him. He took a moment to look over to Gavin, and watched as the Detective smiled at him.

A genuine smile- something which Connor had come to admire.

It took Connor a moment, and several deep breaths, before he could continue.

"Which is the way out, please? he asked of one of the men. "Straight in front of you, the door is open. But let us pass."

Finding that he was getting close to the end of the chapter, Connor felt his body relax with sheer relief. Whilst he had initially enjoyed the reading, his continued position in the spotlight was beginning to feel almost claustrophobic.

Keeping a smile fixed firmly on his face, not wanting anyone to discern how he felt, Connor continued to read.

"Pointing to the stretcher, he asked mechanically…What's that?" Connor read clearly. "The workmen answered…That is Joseph Buquet, who was found in the third cellar, hanging between a farm-house and a scene from the Roi de Lahore."

Clearing his throat, Connor let a moment of silence pass for effect, before reading the final line of the chapter.

"He took off his hat, fell back to make room for the procession and went out."

As soon as he'd finished reading, Connor glanced sideways towards the Professor. When the man nodded, Connor closed the book, taking great care not to damage the spine or yellowing pages.

It was clear that the aged copy was one of the man's prized possessions.

When he handed the book back to the Professor, Connor was surprised by his silence- and the general lack of noise in the room.

He was about to open his mouth and speak up, to see if he'd misread the last sentence, though he knew that was next to impossible, when Professor Englund cleared his throat- and turned to Connor with a look of wonder on his face.

"You are…quite the public speaker." Professor Englund enthused. "And your pronunciation of the French language is exquisite! What a way to make a first impression!"

The Professor carefully put his book down, before starting a round of applause that quickly made its way around the room.

Knowing his time in the spotlight was thankfully nearing its end, Connor focused past the noise- and locked eyes with Gavin.

Who promptly went tomato red when Connor caught him staring, and quickly looked away.

For a moment.

Before awkwardly looking back again.

Just as a smile was beginning to form on the Detective's face, Connor felt the Professor place a hand on his shoulder, and was abruptly pulled back into reality.

"I appreciate the effort you put into your reading." Professor Englund smiled. "I look forward to having you and Gavin on this course."

When the man offered his hand, Connor shook it. He couldn't sense even the slightest ill will, and so allowed himself to completely relax.

His complex systems allowed him to pick up on the smallest details, and if they weren't bringing up any glaring concerns, then they were safe- for the moment.

Something which Connor knew could potentially change at any time.

"If you'd like to take your seat, Connor, we can begin our analysis of those passages." Professor Englund interrupted Connor's thoughts once more.

Grateful to finally be released from the spotlight, Connor walked quickly back to his seat- though not so quickly as to draw any more attention. Despite his eagerness to return to the Detective, he reminded himself to offer Laura a smile. It was clear that she was warming up to him, at least- which would only be useful for the case.

He just had to discern why Gavin seemed opposed to her presence.

Once he'd received the answers to the million other questions he'd have to throw the Detective's way before the day was done.

Pushing everything but the most vital information to the recesses of his mind, Connor took his seat beside Gavin once more- relaxing into the seat the second he sank back down.

Once he'd allowed himself a moment to recalibrate, Connor glanced sideways at his new partner. The Detective wasn't entirely focused on him, but he quickly realised that was simply because Gavin was waiting patiently, until Connor was ready, before he spoke up.

Finding himself smiling, drawn into the Detective's eyes, he watched as the man turned round to face him- looking more at ease now they were at the back of the lecture hall…and away from prying eyes.

"Not bad." Gavin spoke, keeping his voice low as the Professor prepared himself to continue the day's course.

"I could say the same about you, Det-" Connor quickly corrected himself, something he'd had to do many times before. And would likely repeat before the case was solved. "Gavin. I wasn't aware that-"

"Now, everyone! Professor Englund's booming voice interrupted Connor. "With all of you settled down, we can continue."

"Tell me later." Gavin shrugged it off.

"Gavin-" Connor protested.

He wanted to return the Detective's surprisingly honest compliment. As…odd as it was.

"Later, dipshit." Gavin rolled his eyes- before smirking, indicating that the gesture was…just that. A gesture.

Reluctantly, Connor turned away from the detective, and focused on the matter at hand. The remainder of the day's lecture.

They'd left an admirably positive first impression after their dramatic reading, but the smallest slip up could put that in jeopardy.

He had to focus.

* * *

"To conclude, I'm certain we can all agree that these first handfuls of words set the scene for the rest of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra." Professor Englund concluded. "As there is little left for you all to analyse at home, I am simply going to ask that you all begin research for your Masquerade costumes. I wish you all the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!"

When the professor stepped down and away from the podium, officially concluding the lesson, the lecture hall immediately began to fill with noise. But not an unpleasant noise. It was oddly reminiscent of the station- people talking about anything they could think of between shift changes and rounds.

It was…welcoming.

Taking the opportunity, Connor turned to look at Gavin- who looked much more relaxed now that the first day's lecture was concluded. The Detective had relaxed, and sunk further into his seat, if that were even possible- something that served to bring up a smile on Connor's face.

"Gavin." Connor kept his voice low, not wanting to disturb the Detective any more than was necessary.

When the man turned his way, and tilted his head to indicate that he was listening, Connor spoke up again.

"Your reading, before the lecture…" Connor cleared his throat. "It was-"

"Like a high school play gone wrong?" Gavin suggested.

"No…" Connor was surprised by the Detective's reaction. "What I observed was the opposite of that."

"That a compliment?" Gavin helped the conversation along.

"It is." Connor spoke sincerely.

"Connor." Gavin glanced away for a moment, the slightest hint of red on his face, before looking back. "Thanks."

"You're-" Connor started.

He was interrupted by the sound of someone calling his name. With the voice's owner indiscernible amongst the post-lecture chatter, Connor looked round the room- until his systems located the one behind the voice.

Laura.

"We should head over there." Connor started getting up, ensuring his bag was hanging securely over his shoulder.

"And why would we do that?" Gavin made no effort to move.

"She seems to have formed some sort of attachment to us." Connor chose his words carefully. "If we pursue this…friendship…we may be able to discover something useful."

"Like what, dipshit?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"We have no leads." Connor lowered his voice. "Anything would be preferable to reporting back to Captain Fowler empty-handed."

"Got a point." Gavin cleared his throat, before reluctantly rising to his feet- stretching in an effort to get rid of the effects of a several hours long lecture. "Lead the way, Connor."

Reassured, in the knowledge that he had the Detective's support, however reluctant it was, Connor turned back towards Laura- and waved to indicate that the two of them were on their way over.

Adopting a casual stance as he walked, he soon reached her side- soon finding himself and Gavin in the midst of a very enthusiastic group of students. Able to discern that they were Laura's friends, Connor smiled, offering a slight wave in a way of greeting them- slightly taken aback by the size of the group.

"You…were really good up there, Connor." Laura spoke up, initiating the conversation.

"Thank you." Connor adopted a neutral, yet warm expression- wanting to appear as relaxed as possible. "You were good…as well."

"Well, thanks! I've been working on my French pronunciation because of this student my parents are hosting." Laura explained.

"You were very clear. I'm sure the student you're hosting will appreciate your efforts."

"I hope so! It'd make things a lot less awkward."

Seeming to only just notice Gavin standing slightly behind Connor, Laura turned her attentions to him. Whether she hadn't noticed the Detective's less than welcoming expression, or had just simply chosen to ignore it, Laura kept smiling.

"You were great up there too, Gavin." Laura spoke earnestly. "Do either of you speak French? You sounded so natural!"

Thinking for a moment, Connor considered his answer. Due to his programming, he had access to every language currently known to humans. He could understand them, write clearly, and speak each as naturally as any native speaker. But he couldn't tell the whole truth to the others. It would draw suspicion. Yet, he also didn't want to introduce another lie.

There was already a web of those forming around their involvement in the investigation. Connor knew that, even with his advanced programming, too many lies would complicate matters unnecessarily. They had to hold some truths to the lies, to keep everything running smoothly- and keep away prying eyes.

So Connor quickly came up with a solution. It would still seem a little strange, but was more believable than the other option. And it wasn't a complete omission of the truth.

"I speak a couple of languages." Connor shrugged slightly, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

"Really?" Laura glanced at her cluster of friends, before turning back to Connor. "Think you could tell us which ones? I think different languages are interesting to study."

"I speak…" Connor quickly came up with the most common he could think of. "French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin…"

"That's more than a couple!" Laura interjected, before noticing that Connor wasn't done talking. "Sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt!"

"It's fine." Connor smiled.

"Ok, phew." Laura mimed wiping sweat off her brow. "You weren't done. Just ignore me- please…continue. How many more languages can you speak?"

"Just…" Connor glanced sideways at Gavin, who looked mildly in shock at the revelation. "Arabic and Russian. I'm…trying to learn as many as I can."

"Well, I'd say you're off to a pretty amazing start there." Laura shook her head. "How do you remember it all?"

"…memory exercises." Connor offered quickly.

"Really? Well-" Laura started.

"Prove it." A male student with wide rimmed glasses stepped forward.

Instantly hearing Gavin huff behind him, at the student's interruption and clearly condescending tone, Connor quickly replied- not wanting it to escalate unnecessarily.

He quickly realised that, even with toning down the true depths of his programmed knowledge, he had still brought too much attention onto himself.

And, by proxy, Gavin.

Connor realised that, even with all he'd learned, he still had yet to be able to fully pass for a human. Even the most intelligent of humans could only master a handful of languages- they were among the most difficult of things to learn.

Noticing the impatient expression on the interrupting student's face, Connor snapped out of his steadily spiralling train of thought, and brought himself back into reality.

"How would you like me to prove it to you?" Connor asked, keeping his tone neutral.

"You don't have to." Laura insisted, looking a little uncomfortable.

"It's fine." Connor quickly reassured her. "How-"

"Russian." The interrupting student adjusted his glasses. "Say something in Russian. I'll use this app on my tablet to check if it makes any sense."

"This is-" Laura huffed. "Dan, do you have to be-"

"It's alright." Connor repeated his reassurance, before thinking hard.

After a moment, he found himself struggling to hold back laughter- he'd come up with quite an unexpected answer. It would likely irritate the student demanding proof of Connor's knowledge, but judging by the other student's expressions, it would win favour with the others.

Something they would desperately need if they were to get anywhere with the investigation.

"Vy prosili menya dokazat', chto ya znayu." Connor spoke, his voice integrating with the language coding built into his programming. "Mne ne nuzhno nichego dokazyvat' tebe."

After allowing a moment for the student to type on his tablet, still wearing a less than amused expression, Connor continued.

"No ya budu." Connor spoke flawlessly. "Po tvoyemu tonu i yazyku tela ya mogu dokazat', chto ty…nuzhno udalit' etu palku iz vashey zadnitsy."

Once he was done, Connor waited along with the others as the uptight student furiously tapped on his tablet screen. Taking advantage of the moment of respite from all the attention, he glanced backwards at Gavin, who was looking at him with a curiously fond expression.

An expression that unfortunately vanished from the Detective's face when they locked eyes, and Gavin quickly turned away.

Before he could speak to the Detective, Connor found his attention drawn back to the uptight student, who he remembered as being called Dan by Laura, cleared his throat. Finding it difficult not to react to the provocation, Connor forced himself to focus.

Once Dan was satisfied that he now held the room's attention, he held out his tablet- which began repeating Connor's words in English.

"You've asked for me to prove what I know." A robotic voice spoke. "I don't have to prove anything to you, but I will."

Knowing what was to come, Connor took a small step back, until he stood beside Gavin.

When the Detective glanced his way, Connor found it increasingly hard to hold back his laughter. His response to the student's demand was bordering on immature, but he found himself oddly anticipating the fallout.

It would certainly alleviate the steadily building tension.

"From your tone and body language, I can prove that you..." the robotic voice continued. "…need to remove that stick from your ass."

The reaction was instantaneous.

Dan immediately flushed a bright, angry red, which seemed to be the only thing holding back the fallout.

Gavin started laughing unashamedly, revelling in the student's reaction.

Something that the others quickly echoed- the sound of laughter soon filling the lecture hall. It was clearly a relief that the situation had ended in a simple jab, or burn, instead of cruel words or fighting.

Clearly affronted, Dan bristled- but ultimately chose to duck away, and quickly stroll out of the room.

His cowardly exit wasn't helped by his tripping over his own feet- something that made Gavin start wheezing with laughter.

Finding himself somewhat entranced by the sound of the Detective laughing, Connor found himself just staring at Gavin. The way the man's eyes crinkled slightly when he laughed, and the way he had to hold onto Connor's shoulder for support as he gasped for breath between laughs, was…strangely endearing.

Upon further examination, Connor saw a dimple forming by the left corner of the Detective's mouth. A dimple.

Just the one, but a revelation nonetheless.

It completely contradicted Gavin's normally cold and stoic exterior.

But, even despite the non-symmetrical expression, Connor found himself at a loss for words.

In the warm light of the lecture hall, he suddenly became aware of just how perfect the Detective's smile was.

Connor had seen Gavin smile before, of course, but this was the first time he'd seen the man with such an utterly unashamed, expression of joy. A sight that Connor knew would stay with him for…

"Connor!" Laura's voice snapped Connor back into reality.

Reluctantly taking his focus away from Gavin, and struggling to hold back the blush threatening to take over his face, Connor turned to Laura- whose own smile was admittedly pleasant to look at…but still not comparable to the Detective's.

Shaking his head, to clear the last of the distracting thoughts from his mind…at least for the moment, Connor forced a neutral expression back onto his face.

"Yes?" Connor spoke up.

"I think you just made everyone's day!" Laura laughed again. "We've all tried putting that stuck up asshole in his place, but I've never seen him run away like that!"

"That's the best thing I've seen in weeks." A student in the crowd spoke up.

With a flurry of excited comments coming his way, his words clearly having brought some relief to the previously tense atmosphere, Connor tuned out of it all. The multiple voices was making it increasingly difficult to concentrate- as his systems were attempting to process dozens of voices at once- whilst dealing with an extreme amount of background noise.

At least, that's what Connor told himself.

The reality was that he simply wished to look back at Gavin once again, to see even a hint of the smile he'd been lucky enough to witness.

But he couldn't quite find the strength to admit that, even to himself.

"It's a shame Damian and Kaitlyn aren't here for this." Laura spoke.

The mention of the missing students' names snapped Connor out of his thoughts, bringing him back into reality with an abrupt snap.

"You mentioned them before." Connor managed to speak, keeping his voice and tone level. "That they had some…personal problems."

"Yeah." Laura sighed. "None of us really knew them that well. They kind of kept to themselves- but they seemed alright. Never missed a class."

"Never?" Gavin interjected.

"Never. They seemed to really like it here. Or, on this course, at the very least." Laura shrugged, before sighing. "I hope they're ok."

"I'm sure they are." Connor smiled warmly.

"But they've never missed a day…" Laura took a deep breath. "We can't think too much into it. Their parents probably took them on some fancy vacation, like mine do sometimes."

"That's probably all it is." Connor tried reassuring her.

He considered pressing her for more information, but he could tell it wasn't the time nor place. There was a lot of attention on them, and pushing too much could have an adverse effect.

Laura and the others could push Gavin and Connor away, as they were outsiders- and that would block any useful information they could glean from the rest of the class.

Which would be more than detrimental to their case.


	7. First Day (Part 2)

**Summary:**

Connor and Gavin experience their first day on the Love in Literature course, and begin their investigation in full. What will they find?

* * *

 **I'd like to dedicate this part to caffeinateddetective, who I mentioned in the Author's Note of the previous chapter. They're going through a tough time, and are always there for me and have helped me with LIL for as long as I can remember. So, my friend, this is for you.**

Yes, this is Part 2 of First Day. To be clear, this Part is split into 3, because otherwise you'd have to scroll through 65 pages in one sitting.

 _So, to be clear, this Part has been split into 3 , because otherwise you'd have to scroll through 65 pages in one sitting._

 **AND THIS IS 1 OF 3!**

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

After thinking for a moment, Connor turned to Gavin. He waited until Laura had turned back to talk to the other students before raising his voice- albeit only a little. Connor didn't want the attention to turn back on them just yet.

"I have an idea." Connor kept his voice low.

"Go ahead." Gavin nodded subtly.

"We could host the other students at the apartment that's been loaned to us." Connor started. "A relaxed atmosphere-"

"A fucking house party?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Or…apartment party, in this case. I'm not certain what the expression is for that."

"Doesn't really matter. It's a good idea, though." Gavin shrugged.

"You believe so?" Connor was surprised.

"I do. Give some teenagers-" Gavin started.

"Young adults." Connor corrected, impulsively.

"Young adults." Gavin spoke, almost mockingly. "Give them some alcohol, some music- and they'll tell you pretty much anything."

"So you agree?" Connor pursued.

"I do. We get them relaxed…more likely to learn something." Gavin concluded.

"Alright. Perhaps…Friday?" Connor suggested.

"That works. More people turn up when there's nothing on the next day." Gavin agreed.

"What time?" Connor started.

"You two plotting something?" Laura interjected, looking curious- and pointedly ignoring the barely concealed huff from Gavin.

"Maybe." Connor joked, turning the atmosphere back into a casual one. "We were hoping you'd all like to join us for a…party, on Friday. We'd like to get to know you all, as we're going to be on this course for some time."

"A party?" Laura looked intrigued. "I'm always up for that. When were you thinking of having it?"

"Friday?" Connor suggested, tentatively.

"Friday." Laura quickly checked her phone. "I'm good. Anyone else able to make it?"

When practically every student answered with a resounding yes, Connor glanced at Gavin- and saw the Detective's shoulders relax a little.

Reassured by this, Connor found himself smiling at his new partner- smiling wider when Gavin offered a slight smile of his own in return.

"What time?" Laura interrupted Connor's thoughts once more.

"…seven?" Connor suggested tentatively.

"Sounds good. What can we bring?" Laura immediately asked.

"You don't have to-" Connor started.

"We don't turn up empty handed around here." Laura grinned. "Come on, what can we bring? Drinks? Food?"

"We'll be grateful for whatever you can bring." Connor spoke genuinely.

"Alright then! Looks like we're all set!" Laura thought for a moment. "We're going to need an address."

After briefly scanning through his data logs for the address that Fowler and the College president had provided, Connor repeated it to Laura- who's eyes seemed to widen slightly.

"Pretty upscale part of town." Laura shook her head in disbelief. "Only a couple of us live over that way."

"We can-" Connor started.

"I'm pretty sure we're all capable of making our own way." Laura chuckled. "Friday, at 7. Can't wait!"

Once the basics of the party were laid out, and shared with the rest of the class, Connor and Gavin remained- hoping to pick up on any details in the idle chit chat. They were so absorbed in what all the students were saying, that they didn't notice Laura trying to get their attention once more. So much so, that she had to wave her hand in front of their faces to get a response- something that instantly made Gavin bristle.

"Can we help you?" Gavin asked sarcastically.

"I was just wondering-" Laura rolled her eyes briefly. "If you don't mind me saying, the two of you…you look a little older than the rest of us."

"Something wrong with that?" Gavin questioned.

"No, I'm just curious. No harm in asking, right?" Laura asked casually.

"You-" Gavin started, clearly annoyed with her constant barrage of questions.

"No harm done." Connor tactfully interjected. "We graduated from an accounting based College about two years ago…but we decided we needed a change of pace."

"You wanted to try something different." Laura surmised.

"Yes." Connor confirmed. "This course seemed like a good option."

"It is. This is one of the best courses on offer here." Laura smiled. "You definitely made a good choice."

With the tension resolved, Laura took a moment to look at her phone- before focusing fully on the screen. Her body seemed to immediately tense up, something she quickly masked with an almost theatrical sigh.

"Shit. Got to head home, start on my costume." Laura spoke up.

"Little early to start." Gavin frowned.

"Not for me. I can't sew to save my life, but I'm not missing out on that extra credit." Laura explained.

"We understand." Connor smiled, before pulling out the tablet the President had given him and Gavin- and pretending to check the time. "We should be on our way as well. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright." Laura deflated, clearly saddened by the lack of an offer to walk out with her. "It was great getting to know you…both."

After exchanging warm farewells with the other students, Connor and Gavin headed out of the room- walking just a little quicker than they normally would in a sly effort to get away faster.

They managed to get out of the lecture hall, and round the closest corner, without any further interruptions- which gave them a few moments to themselves.

Moments they knew would be few and far between, until they solved the case.

"Fuck." Gavin cursed, drawing Connor's attention.

Concerned, Connor immediately returned to reality- just in time to see Gavin leaning against the wall in visible relief.

"Are you alright?" Connor questioned.

"Just thought we'd never get away." Gavin's mouth twitched upwards in a small smile.

"They were just…" Connor paused, considering his words.

"Nosy pricks?" Gavin offered.

"No!" Connor protested. "They…"

When he couldn't think of anything to counteract Gavin's statement, as the students had hit them with quite the barrage of questions, Connor let his words tail off.

Something that made Gavin's smile grow wider.

"We should…focus on the case." Connor made a sly glance around to check that no one was within earshot.

"Ok." Gavin stood up straight. "I think we should start with where they were last on camera. Before they disappeared."

"I agree." Connor closed his eyes for a moment, to examine the data and video files that the College President had given to them, before speaking up again. "Follow me."

"I can do that." Gavin's smile turned into something akin to a smirk.

Feeling his thirium pump skip a beat, at the implications of the Detective's words, Connor quickly turned away- focusing on the path ahead.

Though it was…difficult.

* * *

 **GAVIN P.O.V**

* * *

As he followed after Connor, Gavin found his mind drifting over to the day's events. It had been a rocky start on his end, at least- given the disturbing amount of alcohol he'd drunk the night before- but it had turned around dramatically. In the past few hours, he'd gotten to know even more about his new partner, each new revelation only serving to deepen the affection he was constantly trying to deny.

Connor had shown how quickly he could adapt to any given situation, that he had a surprisingly well crafted sense of humour…and that he could effortlessly speak any language thrown his way.

Gavin knew that androids came equipped with the capacity to speak whatever language was required, but hearing Connor speak Russian of all things- and smoothly…was…oddly attractive. Connor had also shown his passion for literature, something which Gavin found oddly endearing.

Not that he'd tell that to his new partner.

At least, not yet.

Bringing himself back into reality as they turned another corner in the college's winding halls, Gavin found his eyes steadily drifting lower down Connor's back.

He became so distracted by the android's sculpted ass that he ended up walking into him when Connor abruptly stopped walking.

Enough to make the highly advanced, dexterous android fucking stumble.

Enough to make Gavin want to crawl into a hole and never come back out.

"Are you alright?" Connor turned to face Gavin, expression one of sincere concern.

"I'm good. Uh…sorry. For that." Gavin stumbled his way through an apology.

"It's alright." Connor frowned slightly. "Is there something-"

"I'm good." Gavin spoke quickly. "Just…thinking about the case."

"Oh." Connor seemed to…almost deflate- albeit only a little. "Well, I believe we've found the room."

"The room." Gavin quickly remembered where they'd been heading, trying to rid his mind of the tempting image that had been in front of him for the past few minutes. "This where they disappeared?"

"It would seem so. They don't appear on any more of the cameras after they enter this room." Connor confirmed.

With a final glance around to ensure no one had followed them, Connor entered the room- graciously holding the door open for Gavin.

Finding himself smiling at Connor, as he thanked him, Gavin fought hard to contain a blush from spreading across his face as the android smiled back.

It was an expression that Gavin didn't think he'd ever get used to, as even two days ago seeing such an expression on Connor would have been near impossible.

Sure, he'd seen Connor smile, but not up close like this- he'd been too much of a fucking asshole to see it like that before.

"Gavin?" Connor's voice brought Gavin back into awareness.

Immediately, Gavin refocused on the matter at hand, fully immersing himself in the case. He couldn't afford to keep getting distracted. Not with the two lives potentially on the line. Whatever he was feeling for Connor could wait. The missing kids were what was important, and they had to take priority.

No matter how difficult it was.

"We need to take a look around. If we don't find anything that stands out, I can run a detailed scan of the room- to detect anything we may have missed." Connor spoke, once he locked eyes with Gavin.

"Sounds good." Gavin acknowledged. "I'll take left, you take right?"

"That works." Connor agreed. "Let me know if you find anything."

"Alright." Gavin nodded.

Immediately, Gavin focused all his attention on his side of the room. He quickly became aware of the fact that his surroundings were an exact match for the lecture hall which hosted Love in Literature. Whether it was by sheer coincidence, or tied to the case, he didn't know. Or, at least, he didn't know yet. Maybe it would lead to a breakthrough in the case.

Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

Pushing the sliver of information to the back of his mind, Gavin stepped forward, and began searching the room in earnest. He left no stone unturned- checking under every table, every chair…and pulling out every drawer he laid eyes on. Gavin even paid close attention to where he was walking, listening for anything that sounded out of place- on the small chance that something would be hidden beneath the floor.

It was highly unlikely that anything would be stored under there- the floor looked too even and well maintained for that- but they couldn't afford to leave even the smallest stone unturned.

* * *

Sometime later, Gavin had to begrudgingly admit defeat. The room was eerily as sterile and clean as the Wayne's house had been, but the entire College was like that. Not that that realization helped him in any way.

If anything, it just brought up memories of that encounter. And their interview with Mr Wayne.

That guy was so fucking soulless.

"Did you find anything?" Connor brought Gavin out of his thoughts, before his mind could go back down that rabbit hole again.

Which was probably for the best.

Thinking about the guy, other than sending chills down his spine, still pissed him off.

"Gavin?" Connor spoke up again, forcing him to refocus. "Did you find anything?"

"No, nothing." Gavin cleared his throat. "You?"

"Nothing that I can see on the surface." Connor looked slightly deflated.

"Think you'll find anything on the scan?" Gavin paused.

"I hope so." Connor shook his head slightly. "We haven't discovered anything significant. Nothing that can really aid us."

"Haven't discovered anything yet, dipshit." Gavin joked, in an attempt to lighten the increasingly depressing atmosphere.

"Yet." Connor repeated, a slight smile making its way onto his face. "I'll perform a scan now. Hopefully we'll get some results."

When Connor's eyes glazed over, and went inhumanly blank, Gavin felt a chill run down his spine. It only lasted for a moment- Connor's software was evidently as advanced as he'd heard- but it was long enough for Gavin to know he never wanted to see that expression on the android's face again.

After what felt like a lifetime (when in reality was less than 30 seconds), Connor's eyes returned to normal- bright and full of life. Eyes which immediately locked with Gavin's as the android turned to face him.

"And?" Gavin prompted.

"Nothing stands out." Connor looked defeated. "The room has been cleaned recently, and the students disappeared several weeks ago- I can't find any traces of their DNA."

"Nothing." Gavin took a deep breath, before thinking. "Should check outside."

"I agree." Connor paused, for a moment, before continuing. "I can also scan the surrounding area for any devices that may have caught them on their way out."

"Don't you need a warrant for-" Gavin started.

"I can't look at the footage itself without a warrant," Connor tactfully interrupted. "But I can find out which devices were active at the time of the students' disappearance."

"Narrows down the ones we'd have to get a warrant for." Gavin was impressed. "Lead the way."

After they'd both looked around one last time, more to ensure they weren't being watched than anything else, Gavin followed after Connor- as the android headed for the nearest window. The chosen route would look pretty fucking suspicious, but it was less conspicuous than sneaking round the back of the building. It also meant that they couldn't be interrupted on their way out- they'd had too many distractions already, and they couldn't afford many more.

Connor half jumping through the window like some kind of parkour expert did little to help Gavin's dignity as he awkwardly climbed through, stumbling on his way out. The string of curses barely managed to mask how he was slowly dying on the inside, if it masked that at all. Connor probably noticed every single fucking detail, even if he wouldn't say it.

"Gavin?" Connor's voice prompted Gavin to snap out of it.

Immediately straightening up, Gavin cleared his throat- hoping all traces of embarrassment were gone from his face. It was bad enough that Connor had seen him fall backwards off the couch just a few hours ago.

Fuck.

"Anything we can use?" Gavin gestured to their surroundings- where a camera was visible on practically every building.

"These devices only record for twenty-four hours at a time." Connor informed him. "They delete all the footage after a single cycle."

"Doesn't sound…" Gavin thought of the right word.

"Efficient?" Connor offered.

"Exactly."

"I agree. Though it appears if any suspicious activity is detected, an AI sends that footage through to the police."

"So we might find something back at the station?"

"Maybe. It's all we can do- there won't be any other footage for us to look at."

"Better than nothing."

"True. We should look around all the same. There may be things that the cameras can't pick up on."

"Think you can check for footprints, shit like that?"

"I can. It's doubtful we'll get any useful results."

"Still worth looking."

When Connor smiled slightly in response, Gavin forced himself to refocus on the task at hand, immediately looking around to ensure they weren't being observed by any prying eyes. After a look around confirmed that they were alone, with no disturbances likely to interrupt them, Gavin started crouching down- examining every square inch of the ground below.

It was as well maintained as the interior of the college- a collection of flowers and shrubs arranged by hedges which sectioned off most of the main building. The area was so perfect, that Gavin immediately felt doubt creeping into the back of his mind- it didn't look like they'd be able to find anything of use. They couldn't even ask when it had last been subject to any kind of maintenance, as the missing students had been gone for almost a month- rendering that entire line of questioning obsolete.

Just as he was about to stand up, and tell Connor that he'd found jack shit, Gavin saw something buried in the dirt- only identified by the tiniest of reflections. So small, that he was surprised he'd caught it at all.

Reacting on instinct, Gavin cautiously began moving the dirt away from the object. It took a few moments to get it clear, without disturbing the item itself, but eventually it was revealed. Lying there, albeit caked in dirt and showing a hell of a lot of wear and tear, was a ring. A thick golden band, with a shield like emblem on top.

Frowning, Gavin rummaged around in his bag. When he got to the very bottom, he found what he was looking for. Not wanting to be caught unprepared, he had hidden a smaller bag underneath all the other shit- in which was a makeshift field kit. Taking out a small Ziploc bag, and a set of disposable gloves, Gavin got to work. Pulling on the gloves, which always felt fucking horrible, he cautiously picked up the ring- glancing around them one last time before examining the item.

The emblem was definitely a shield, but the symbols' detail was lost amidst the dirt. But, it was something that could be fixed.

"Connor?" Gavin turned, the ring carefully in his right hand. "Find anything?"

"Nothing we can use. There's too much…" Connor paused.

"Everything?" Gavin offered.

"The high volume of traffic makes it impossible to isolate where the students may have disappeared. And with their records sealed, I can't use their DNA to isolate anything in the data."

"I've got something. I think." Gavin tactfully interrupted.

"Let me see." Connor also glanced around, before crouching down next to Gavin.

"Need to get it cleared up but…might be something." Gavin shrugged.

"Might be." Connor idly adjusted his false glasses.

Which definitely didn't make Gavin's heart skip a beat.

Or two.

Or three.

No fucking way.

"Or it's just a ring some random asshole left behind." Gavin brought himself back into the conversation.

"That…is a possibility." Connor admitted awkwardly.

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing."

"Could look around."

"I agree. We should make sure we haven't missed anything."

* * *

After a solid hour of looking around the area surrounding the College, and diligently checking every security device they came across, Gavin finally admitted defeat- though it took some convincing to get Connor to stop the search. They'd gone into every alleyway, every possible route the missing students may have gone, and found nothing. Every security device in the area had a similar set up, which wasn't that weird- it was in a…particularly affluent area, with a lot of luxury businesses calling the place home. It actually made sense, in a way. Didn't make it any less frustrating when they finally had to call off the search.

"We don't have much to take to Captain Fowler." Connor spoke up, when they finally got back to the car.

"Not our fault. We checked everywhere." Gavin reassured him, as he buckled into the driver's seat. "Done what we could, with the parents being pieces of shit."

"It still doesn't feel right."

"It doesn't. But we've just got to get on with it. Fuck."

When the conversation wound down, and slipped into an awkward silence, Gavin quickly turned the music back on. After placing his hands on the wheel, he looked over to Connor- and immediately stopped. The android was sat with his elbow propped up on the window, head turned at a slight angle in his hand. Connor's expression was almost entirely neutral, until Gavin glanced up at his eyes. Eyes which, while focused on what lay ahead, were knitted together in frustration.

"Hey." Gavin spoke up, drawing the android's attention. "We'll find them."

Despite the fact they both knew the chances of finding the students alive, if at all, was next to nothing- given the timeframe, Connor smiled at Gavin.

And this time…

He couldn't fucking deny it.

His heart definitely skipped a couple of beats.

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

The closer they got to the precinct, the more nervous Connor felt. It wasn't just the case, though that was certainly a large part of it. No, it was also the glaring realization that Hank had never seen Connor without his LED. In fact, neither had anyone else in the precinct. He'd just…never taken it off. Not even when the component was damaged, on more than one occasion. Even when it drew negative attention at the cluster of protests around the android/human peace treaties.

Surprising Connor, they'd all readily accepted how he preferred to keep wearing it after the revolution, encouraging him when he explained how he no longer had to feel ashamed of who he was- or hide it. So this was definitely going to turn a few heads.

Hank's reaction, of course, remained Connor's primary concern. He knew the Lieutenant would always accept him for who he was, regardless of what anyone else would say or think, but it was still a daunting task. Without the LED, and without his…his uniform. Connor barely held back a curse, as another realization caused stutters in his thirium pump.

Yes, he'd taken to occasionally wearing casual clothes when off duty…but it still wasn't a regular thing. Not by any measure. And he'd certainly not experimented with what he wore to work. Hank had tried, obviously, but Connor was reluctant to swerve away from his familiar suit. It was a comfort, of sorts, especially with the Cyberlife logo removed. So, this was the first time he'd ever really experimented with his own style. Something his- something unique.

It was a day for firsts, Connor reluctantly concluded.

"Connor!" Gavin's strangely loud tone shocked Connor out of his thoughts.

Quickly snapping back into awareness, Connor turned to look at Gavin. The man looked oddly concerned, brow furrowed and eyes reflecting a genuine emotion that Connor had never before seen in his new partner. It made the odd ache in his chest begin to make its way back into his systems.

"We're here." Gavin gestured to their surroundings, before adopting a softer tone of voice. "You ok?"

"I'm-" Connor thought for a moment, taking a moment to allow scattered data to realign. "I'm ok."

"Sure about that?" Gavin raised an eyebrow, though his tone still mixed with gentle concern.

"I'll be ok." Connor reaffirmed.

"If you say so." Gavin shrugged, before speaking up again. "Want to tell me-"

"It's nothing." Connor tactfully interrupted.

"It's not nothing, dipshit. What-" Gavin started.

"The Lieutenant's never seen me without my LED before." Connor interrupted. "Neither has anyone else."

"That's why-" Gavin took a deep breath. "Can go back to my place, pick it up-"

"It's fine." Connor gently cut him off. "I'll be leaving it there for the duration of our case. It was inevitable they'd see me without it. It's just.."

"Weird?" Gavin offered awkwardly.

"…actually, yes." Connor chuckled slightly.

"Well…fuck. Look, I'm not good with-" Gavin cut himself off, with a mumbled curse.

Before he could ask the Detective what he'd meant to say, Connor found himself stunned, as the man reached forward with his shaking right hand- and took Connor's left in his grasp.

As their fingers interlocked, his smooth skin contrasting with Gavin's rough multitude of tiny scars, Connor felt his thirium pump skip several beats, stuttering.

They'd briefly held hands before, when the Detective removed his LED, but it was nothing like this.

This was…tender.

Gentle.

Nothing like what he'd come to accept from Gavin.

But, it was…

Definitely a welcome change.

"You…" Gavin cleared his throat, face taking on an interesting shade of red. "You good?"

"I-" Connor took a deep breath, hoping to avoid the blue blush threatening to overtake his own face. "I'm alright."

With that confirmation, Gavin awkwardly pulled his hand back. The sudden lack of contact was oddly disappointing to Connor, but he couldn't rightly complain. It had clearly taken a lot for the Detective to show such forward concern.

And…it was…sweet.

Connor smiled. If you'd told him two days ago that he'd be using the word sweet, of all things, to describe **Gavin Reed** , he wouldn't have believed you.

"Going to leave me out here, dipshit?" Gavin's voice interrupted Connor's thoughts.

Refocusing, Connor saw Gavin waiting just outside the car. He hadn't even realised when the man had gotten out- he'd been too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

Again.

"No, I'm coming." Connor hastily unbuckled, and got out from the car.

Closing the door carefully, Connor hooked his bag over his shoulder once more- watching fondly as Gavin dutifully locked the vehicle. The Detective checked it over several times before he was satisfied, but Connor couldn't fault him for it.

Whilst he couldn't claim to understand his partner's love of motorized vehicles, it was clear they meant a great deal to Gavin.

So Connor could wait patiently, for however long it took.

The fact that the Detective had to bend over slightly to lock the car definitely didn't have anything to do with how patient Connor could be.

Definitely not.

"Come on." Gavin called out to Connor, as he headed towards the familiar, automatic revolving doors of the precinct.

Jogging slightly to catch up, he was soon walking beside the Detective once more. Before long, the two of them crossed the towering building's threshold, and found themselves breathing more than a few sighs of relief between them. It was oddly comforting, to be back. After all, they knew everyone at the Precinct. And everyone knew them. They didn't have to constantly look over their shoulders here, to check if anyone was listening. They didn't feel like they were being watched by an unseen entity. The precinct was…well…home.

Waving and smiling at the android receptionists, whose outfits were now unique to each of them, and embellished with their own endearing details, Connor silently waited for their reaction. Thankfully, the three women said nothing. Though their widened eyes and raised eyebrows betrayed them.

He couldn't fault them. They had also elected to keep their LEDs after the revolution, unlike the rest of the Precinct's androids, so it would be an even greater shock to them. Connor wished he could delegate some time to explain it all to them, but he knew they had to get to Fowler.

And, just as important, Hank. Connor wanted the Lieutenant to be his primary focus, aside from the case- so he could explain the reason behind the absence of his LED. Before the man jumped to conclusions and went after Gavin. Not that Connor could blame Hank. The three of them had never been on the best of terms, to say the least.

Shaking his head, Connor refocused, just as he and Gavin walked through the security framed doors and into the precinct's inner sanctum. It was bustling with activity, but anyone who happened to be close as they headed for Hank's desk unashamedly stopped and stared. Something that quickly gained momentum, even amongst those who had tactfully tried to avoid staring.

It wasn't long before the entire room was focused on them- though some tried to at least hide their interest behind open files and magazines.

Thankfully, they reached Hank's desk before long. The Lieutenant looked up when they came to a stop in front of him. It took a while to speak, as he looked the two of them up and down. When his focus drifted solely to Connor, and the man's eyes passed, Connor braced himself.

A moment went by, before Hank abruptly choked on his coffee. As the man narrowly avoided getting the steaming hot liquid all over his desk, Connor knew Hank had noticed the LED. Or lack of it.

"The fuck?" Hank hastily put his mug down, before standing up and walking to stand beside Connor.

"Lieutenant-" Connor started.

"Your…LED…thing!" Hank tactfully tried to keep his voice low. "The fuck happened?"

"It's alright-" Connor tried speaking.

"Did he do that?" Hank pointedly glanced towards Gavin.

"He didn't-" Connor paused, to consider his words.

The Detective had certainly been the one to suggest removing the LED, but it wasn't out of malice or disgust. It was out of genuine concern for Connor's wellbeing. That, and concern over how it would impact their case. It was also something he'd already considered doing himself.

"He suggested I remove it-" Connor started, before instantly realising his mistake.

"Reed!" Hank bristled, face steadily reflecting his anger.

"For the case." Connor quickly interrupted.

"For the case. Yeah right-" Hank started, taking a step closer to Gavin- who instinctively took a step back.

"I agreed." Connor spoke firmly. "I'd already considered the idea myself, Lieutenant."

"Why?" Hank demanded.

"We both agreed that it would draw too much attention to ourselves." Connor explained.

"And after that prick punched him-" Gavin interjected.

"Like you give a sh-" Hank started.

"We both decided it would be better to remove the LED. Until the case is solved." Connor stepped between Gavin and Hank- noticing the attention the tense exchange was drawing.

"Both?" Hank took a deep breath. "You wanted to remove it?"

"I did. For now." Connor smiled slightly, touched by the Lieutenant's concern.

"For now." Hank repeated to himself, before refocusing on Connor- and…smiling?

"Is everything alright?" Connor spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah." Hank brushed off his concern, before looking up and down at both of their outfits. "The fuck are you two wearing?"

"Does it look strange?" Connor frowned.

"No. Not on you, at least." Hank couldn't resist a jab at Gavin.

A jab that, thankfully, the Detective didn't respond to. Which was a miracle of restraint in and of itself.

"So this looks-" Connor started.

"Looks good, son." Hank awkwardly patted Connor's shoulder, before taking a reluctant step back.

"I'll go find Chris." Gavin abruptly interrupted, before starting to wander off.

"Why-" Connor started.

"Think you two need to talk." Gavin gestured to Hank, before smiling awkwardly, and disappearing.

Once the Detective was out of earshot, Hank stepped forward again, and put both of his hands on Connor's shoulders- expression one of silent, but genuine concern. Something which served to put a smile on his own face. Whilst awkward at times, the Lieutenant always thought of Connor before himself.

A selfless trait that he wished Hank would acknowledge more often. Not that Connor hadn't tried.

"You ok?" Hank asked, tactfully keeping his voice down- aware of the attention Connor and Gavin's entrance had brought. "That asshole-"

"I'm ok, Hank." Connor let go of using the man's formal title, just so he'd know he wasn't bullshitting him.

Something he knew he should do more often.

"Ok." Hank raised his hands in mock surrender, instantly getting rid of the last of the tension. "Sorry, Connor."

"You don't need to apologise, Lieutenant." Connor reassured him. "You were…concerned."

"That's an understatement." Hank crossed his arms.

"You don't trust Detective Reed."

"I don't. Look, I know you said he apologised, but I'm not going to take that prick at his word."

"I…don't blame you."

"Needs to prove he means it."

"I understand."

"He treating you alright?"

"Yes-"

"Because if he says one more fucking-"

"We're fine, Hank."

"He's been after you since the day you got here."

"I know-"

"Never seen him be anything but an asshole to you."

"Lieutenant-"

"He's not going to change overnight, Connor. If he's going to change at all."

"He-"

"Someone like him doesn't just f-"

"Hank." Connor spoke firmly- in such a tone that it made the Lieutenant stop dead, and turned a few heads. "I can handle Gav….Detective Reed."

"On a first name basis?" Hank seemed to be growing more irritated by the second.

"I am." Connor confirmed.

"Connor-" Hank started.

"Lieutenant." Connor adopted the stern tone once more, not unlike the voice he normally reserved for interrogations. He hated using it with Hank, of all people, but he had to get the man to listen. "I know you don't trust him. I won't ask you to."

"Then what-" Hank interjected.

"I just need you to trust me." Connor overtook his words.

"You know I-" Hank stopped himself, and took a moment to breathe, before continuing. "That's not what you mean, I know. Fuck. Ok. You know what you're doing."

"I appreciate-"

"Doesn't mean I'm not going to worry about you, son."

"I know."

* * *

 **GAVIN P.O.V**

* * *

Slyly looking up from his mug of coffee, Gavin found his eyes wandering across the room once more…and right back to Connor. The android seemed more relaxed than he had been when Gavin ducked out, and it looked as if Anderson was finally cooling off as well. He couldn't exactly blame the guy. He'd been an asshole to the two of them ever since Connor arrived. Hadn't ever given them a reason to think otherwise. Hopefully he hadn't done permanent damage. Gavin liked the idea of being able to talk to Hank without the guy jumping down his throat when he so much as glanced in Connor's direction. Liked the idea of just talking to the guy, the way he had before the android arrived. They'd had an odd, almost friendship thing going on- but that was a long time ago.

Shaking his head, Gavin returned his focus to Connor. And, for the millionth fucking time that day, found himself getting lost. He still couldn't get the image of the guy curled up on his couch out of his head. Couldn't get a lot of images out of his head.

Taking another sip of coffee, in an effort to at least appear nonchalant, Gavin found his eyes roving over the android's entire body. Until his eyes got steadily lower.

"Gavin!" Tina's voice abruptly shocked Gavin out of his thoughts, enough that he almost choked on his coffee.

"The fuck was that for?" Gavin put the mug back down on the counter.

"Have you heard anything I've been saying for the past five minutes?" Tina asked incredulously.

"'Course he hasn't!" Chris wandered over with a coffee for himself. "Too busy staring at Connor's a-"

"Chris!" Gavin interrupted, before the guy could go any further.

"What?" Chris hid laughter behind a gulp of coffee.

"You can't-" Gavin started.

"Was he wrong?" Tina interrupted. "Were you looking at his ass? Or somewhere-?"

"This isn't happening." Gavin interrupted as he looked away, attempting to hide his red face behind the steam coming off his still-warm coffee.

"You didn't deny it!" Tina cheered, almost a little too loudly.

"Fuck, I wasn't-" Gavin tried speaking.

"I mean, I can't blame you. He's pretty-" Tina started.

"I'm not having this conversation with you." Gavin turned away, letting a stream of curses out under his breath.

"But you are." Chris leaned forward.

"No." Gavin leaned back.

"Don't be stubborn, we know you-" Chris started.

"Reed!" Hank's voice echoed across the station. "Get your ass over here."

"The fuck-" Gavin started.

"Lieutenant!" Connor protested, clearly uncomfortable with how Hank had chosen to address Gavin.

"Got to go." Gavin took the opportunity to duck away.

"Okay, just remember this, Gavin." Tina spoke firmly, grabbing Gavin's shoulder.

"What?" Gavin turned back, at the change in her tone of voice.

"Connor's eyes are up here." Tina locked eyes with him.

"Fuck you." Gavin pulled away, immediately noticing how Chris was doubled over in silent laughter.

"You love us really!" Tina called, as he practically jogged away.

Not right now he didn't.

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

When Gavin wandered over, hands in his pockets and looking more than a little red-faced, Connor immediately found himself concerned- until he glanced over to Tina and Chris. Who were almost choking on their coffee with silent, unashamed laughter. Reassured by the sight, Connor immediately felt more at ease. Though he couldn't deny he was curious to see what had them in stitches, and Gavin's face an interesting shade of scarlet.

"Anderson." Gavin cleared his throat.

"Reed." Hank barely acknowledged him.

"Why-" Gavin started.

"I was going to come over." Connor tactfully interrupted. "But I didn't want to interrupt."

"Wouldn't have..." Gavin glanced sideways at Hank, and awkwardly left his sentence unfinished.

"Are you-" Connor started.

"I'm good." Gavin's face finally started fading from tomato red into a more…reasonable shade. "Need me for something?"

"I just thought we should talk to Captain Fowler. He's back in his office." Connor explained. "We shouldn't keep him waiting."

"No, you shouldn't." Hank interjected. "Unless-"

"Unless what, Hank?" Fowler spoke loudly, as he opened his office door- drawing everyone's attention.

"Nothing." Hank feigned ignorance, raising his hands in mock surrender, in a way that made Connor smile…and made it hard for him to hold back his laughter.

"It's never nothing with you, Hank." Fowler raised an eyebrow.

"Well it is tonight, Jeffrey." Hank spoke mockingly.

"You're lucky I don't add that to your disciplinary folder." Fowler huffed, but with no real malice behind the gesture.

"Lucky?" Hank turned round. "No, you just can't get rid of me."

"Don't make me regret it." Fowler shook his head, before focusing on Connor and Gavin. "Seeing as you two haven't murdered each other yet, I'd like to see you in my office."

Finding himself smiling at the brief banter between Fowler and Hank, Connor quickly made his way over to the captain's office- idly glancing back a few times to make sure Gavin was following. And he was. But he was keeping a good amount of distance between them, and his eyes seemed to be looking anywhere but Connor.

Something which was clearly related to what Tina and Chris had said to Gavin just before he headed over, something that seemed to make their laughter more intense.

He'd have to ask the Detective what they were all laughing about- later.

Along with the 103932020 other questions he had yet to ask.

"Connor." Fowler's voice brought him back to reality.

"Yes, Captain?" Connor looked up, barely avoiding tripping over the steps to the man's office, in the aftermath of another…zoning out.

"You doing ok?" Fowler asked, as he took a seat behind his desk.

"I'm ok." Connor answered sincerely, taking one of the seats in front of the Captain when he gestured for him to sit down.

"Reed cooperating?" Fowler asked.

"He is." Connor answered simply.

"You tell me if that changes." Fowler spoke firmly, just as Gavin entered the office.

As soon as Gavin had taken his seat beside Connor, the door shutting behind him, Fowler leant forward. Adopting a serious expression, he held his hands clasped in front of him. His posture immediately became rigid and severe.

"I've been dealing with the missing student's parents all fucking day." Fowler started. "They refuse to cooperate."

"Doesn't surprise me." Gavin shrugged, leaning back in his chair- though his expression remained serious.

"Tell me you two have something." Fowler sighed. "Anything."

"We may have something." Connor spoke tentatively. "A few things, actually."

"Good. Start from the top." Fowler nodded, gesturing for Connor to continue.

"We met the college's President." Connor started. "He seems…overly concerned."

"Which is-" Fowler paused, before frowning. "The parents don't seem to care either way. Why does he?"

"That's what we thought." Gavin interjected.

"He mentioned that on the occasions he's met with the Wayne's, and Kaitlyn's families, that they seemed to be…rather cold." Connor continued. "Which we've seen first-hand from the Wayne's."

"Pricks." Gavin mumbled.

"Can't argue with that." Fowler sighed. "Continue, Connor."

"He says he took it upon himself to care, in their absence." Connor concluded.

"Which is why he's continuing the investigation." Fowler nodded. "He tell you anything else?"

"Nothing that we don't already know." Gavin joined in the conversation. "Students were going home after the course on Friday, couple weeks back."

"The cameras showed them walking into one of the empty lecture halls, and then…nothing." Connor carried on. "Despite the fact they have multiple cameras installed throughout the building."

"Like they knew where the cameras were." Gavin added. "Did give us the footage of the day they went missing."

"And footage covering their appearances up to a month before their disappearance." Connor interjected.

"Think you can get anything from it?" Fowler questioned.

"Possibly." Connor answered. "I can't say for certain until I look at the footage myself."

"Ok." Fowler nodded, taking it all in. "They have multiple cameras. What about security?"

"They have devices installed in their doors, which detect concealed weapons." Connor explained. "They connect wirelessly to a nearby computer, which determines the presence of weapons through a complex algorithm- which detects certain shapes and calculated weight. When a weapon is detected, it automatically alerts the police."

"Almost as good as what we have here." Fowler thought. "Ninety-nine point nine success rate. Expensive, but it is Detroit's top college. Were they installed before or after the disappearance?"

"Before. Had them for a while." Gavin spoke up.

"Ok. With that, they technically don't need physical security." Fowler thought for a moment, before continuing. "He say anything about why the parents waited a month before contacting us?"

"Thought the President told you he didn't want to run a typical investigation?" Gavin frowned. "Something about donors with too much fucking money invested?"

"That's what he told me. But I have reason to doubt that was the truth." Fowler explained.

"Reason to doubt?" Connor pursued.

"Sounded like he was reading off a script. Combine that with what you've told me, and-" Fowler started.

"Doesn't add up." Gavin surmised.

"Maybe he was trying to move the attention off of the parents." Fowler shook his head. "I don't know."

"It's strange. He seemed genuine when he was speaking with us." Connor frowned.

"Just another fucking mystery to add to this-" Fowler took a deep breath. "Moving on. Anything else stand out?"

"He gave us these tablets." Connor withdrew his from his bag, and slid it across the desk to Fowler. Something Gavin quickly copied, carefully putting his own up there.

"Said it has our schedules, details of our new identities, and full access to their records." Gavin added.

"He gave you that willingly?" Fowler looked surprised.

"Didn't sit right with us either." Gavin picked up on Fowler's suspicion.

"I'll send them to the techs. Make sure there's nothing on there that shouldn't be." Fowler carefully put the tablets aside. "Standard procedure. Moving on…anything else pop out?"

"His secretary." Gavin was the first to speak up.

"Secretary?" Fowler looked intrigued. "Why's she of interest?"

"She was a bi-" Gavin started.

"She was…unpleasant." Connor tactfully spoke over Gavin.

"Unpleasant?" Fowler pursued.

"Hostile, towards Connor." Gavin explained. "Ran a scan, social media pages indicate she's been involved with several hate groups."

"Hostile towards Connor. Connected to hate groups." Fowler repeated, before looking awkward. "That hatred directed towards androids?"

"It is." Connor answered simply. "The pages aren't active, but the…language she used suggests she may be meeting with the members of those groups in person."

"But we can't bring her in." Gavin looked irritated. "No proof she's still involved."

"Just speculation." Fowler surmised. "But well deserved. Keep an eye on her. I'll see if we can dig anything up. Sorry you had to deal with that on your first day."

"I'm used to it, Captain." Connor smiled awkwardly, hoping his expression would hide how much it had **actually** bothered him.

"Shouldn't be." Fowler pointedly glanced towards Gavin, who Connor noticed immediately looked away.

"I know. But I'm ok, honestly." Connor reassured the Captain. "May we continue?"

"Of course." Fowler cleared his throat. "Anything-"

"Guy mentioned the missing kids' parents tried to find them themselves." Gavin sat up straight.

"Didn't mention that when he contacted me." Fowler frowned. "Continue."

"When they were unsuccessful, they approached the College President, and asked if he would contact our department on their behalf." Connor explained.

"Why not go direct-" Fowler started, before thinking for a moment, and pausing. "Think I know why. Go on."

"Assholes disagree with androids holding 'permanent, formally employed positions'." Gavin added in.

"A lot of that going around." Fowler glanced at Gavin, though his expression indicated he was surprised by the Detective's show of concern.

"They were considering going to a private investigator before this, but we have more…power, as he worded it." Connor redirected the conversation before it could spiral. "He did actually mention the donors. He doesn't want to lose their support, but purely so the state of the art facilities at the College can be available for as long as possible."

"You believed him?" Fowler seemed surprised.

"I believe he was sincere." Connor confirmed.

"Gavin?" Fowler pursued.

"Connor says he believes him." Gavin shrugged. "Good enough for me."

"Really?" Fowler seemed surprised, but quickly refocused. "He's being very generous."

"He is. Which…doesn't seem right." Connor frowned.

"Being a bit too generous." Fowler agreed. "Nothing else stand out?"

"No. We were able to ask the course students about our missing ones, but they all believe they're dealing with a…family illness."

"They tell you anything about what our students were like?" Fowler pursued.

"Not much." Gavin interjected.

"None of them really knew Damian and Kaitlyn." Connor elaborated.

"Kept to themselves." Gavin thought for a moment, before continuing. "Never missed a class."

"Nothing else?" Fowler looked disappointed.

"Nothing." Gavin was equally as disappointed.

"But we may be able to find some more information." Connor sat up straight.

"Go on." Fowler looked intrigued.

"G-" Connor cleared his throat. "Detective Reed suggested we host a…"

"House party. At the apartment we've been given. Saying it out loud sounds pretty fucking stupid." Gavin looked a little red-faced.

"Oldest trick in the book. Get people drunk, they'll tell you anything." Fowler looked mildly impressed. "Good call, Reed. When will the party take place?"

"Friday. Figured more people would show up when there's nothing to get up for in the morning." Gavin explained.

"Not bad." Fowler nodded. "It's something. You two get a chance to look around?"

"We did, after our class concluded." Connor leaned forward. "We examined the lecture hall where they were last seen, before their disappearance."

"Find anything?" Fowler looked mildly hopeful.

"Nothing." Gavin ran his hands down his own face, looking extremely irritated. "Did look just outside."

"I scanned for nearby security devices. The ones I found nearby automatically delete all their footage after a twenty-four-hour cycle." Connor elaborated, "Unless they detect anything suspicious."

"So, we have nothing." Fowler surmised.

"Maybe." Connor produced the dirty ring, carefully sealed away in its little Ziploc bag. "We found this buried underneath a few layers of dirt. It's…"

"Looks expensive. Has some kind of shield on it." Gavin continued, as Fowler carefully took the bag from Connor. "Seems like the kind of thing the missing kids' asshole parents would give them. Or wear themselves. Pricks."

"You couldn't get anything from this?" Fowler looked towards Connor.

"I couldn't examine it properly when we found it. We were at risk of being discovered." Connor explained.

"A lot of foot traffic around there." Gavin concluded.

"Alright." Fowler nodded. "I'll send this down to forensics so you two can get started on that footage. Get the fucking thing cleaned up. Dust for prints. When it's ready, I'll get them to send it back up. If it is relevant to our case…well. Cross that bridge when we get to it. That cover everything?"

"I believe so. I'm sorry we don't have any further evidence to present." Connor apologised.

"It's ok. This is a difficult case." Fowler spoke calmly. "We've been brought in late. Just got to hope it's not too late."

"I hope so too." Connor noticed the newly sombre atmosphere.

One which Captain Fowler fortunately broke, something Connor was grateful for. If he thought for too long on the infinite possible outcomes of the case, he'd start seeing simulations of those outcomes. And that was something he definitely didn't need.

"In any case, we've got more than we had yesterday." Fowler continued. "But we can't keep having days like today. We need more information. And until I have evidence to get a warrant to force the parents to cooperate…"

"We're back at square one." Gavin concluded.

"Pretty much." Fowler confirmed, taking a few deep breaths before continuing. "You two take a look at that footage. Then you should head to this apartment. Need you two at your best if we're going to solve this."

"Of course." Connor smiled slightly.

"You're free to go…" Fowler started. "But I need Reed to hang back for a moment."

"I-" Connor started.

He paused, and glanced sideways at Gavin, before continuing.

"Yes, Captain. I'll be at my desk."


	8. First Day (Part 3)

**Summary:**

Connor and Gavin experience their first day on the Love in Literature course, and begin their investigation in full. What will they find?

* * *

 **I'd like to dedicate this part to caffeinateddetective, who I mentioned in the Author's Note of the previous chapter. They're going through a tough time, and are always there for me and have helped me with LIL for as long as I can remember. So, my friend, this is for you.**

Yes, this is Part 2 of First Day. To be clear, this Part is split into 3, because otherwise you'd have to scroll through 65 pages in one sitting.

 _So, to be clear, this Part has been split into 3 , because otherwise you'd have to scroll through 65 pages in one sitting._

 **AND THIS IS 3 OF 3!**

* * *

 **GAVIN P.O.V**

* * *

When Connor reluctantly exited the office, shooting a concerned look in Gavin's direction as the closed the door behind him, Gavin let out a breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding- but quickly managed to refocus. Bracing himself for whatever lecture was likely coming his way, he turned to face Captain Fowler, whose face had slipped into a familiar cold and stern expression. Something Gavin had seen one too many times. It was never a good thing, when the Captain looked at you like that.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck **fuck.**

"Gavin." Fowler spoke up.

"Captain." Gavin found more than a couple of nerves building in the back of his head.

"You went a whole fifteen minutes without insulting Connor." Fowler continued.

"And that's a bad thing?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

Fuck.

 **Bad choice.**

"Don't sass me, Reed. I am not in the mood." Fowler leaned forward.

Definitely a bad choice.

"…yes, Captain." Gavin cleared his throat awkwardly.

"You apologise? For being an-" Fowler started.

"I know I was being an asshole, alright?" Gavin felt himself getting more irritated by the second.

"About time you acknowledged that." Fowler's body language softened.

"…I know." Gavin admitted.

"But you apologised?" Fowler pursued.

"I did." Gavin confirmed.

"What did Connor say?" Fowler leant forward, clearly concerned for the android.

Definitely couldn't fault the Captain on his compassion.

Even if he had a pretty fucking strange way of showing it.

"He accepted it." Gavin answered, after taking a moment to think.

"Just like that?" Fowler seemed surprised.

"Just like that." Gavin shrugged.

"Really?" Fowler repeated.

"Really." Gavin barely managed to hold in the irritation.

"I'm surprised. But I'm pleased the two of you worked things out. Would have been a pain in the ass to keep an eye on you when I've got these parents breathing down my neck." Fowler shook his head. "Might have a harder time getting Hank to believe that you mean it. I still find it pretty hard to believe you just up and apologised."

"I know, I got lucky." Gavin looked back up, focusing on the Captain.

"It's progress." Fowler finally leaned back. "But if I hear you say one more fucking insult-"

"I'm dead?" Gavin interjected, trying to get rid of some of the tension.

"You're dead, Reed." Fowler barely managed to hide a chuckle, having to take a moment before carrying on. "Now, I want you two checking in at the end of each day. However long it takes to solve this case. But don't-"

"Take too long?" Gavin interjected. "I know. We'll find them."

"If anyone can..." Fowler stood up. "It's you and Connor."

"Is that a compliment-" Gavin started.

"Don't push your luck."

"…yes, Captain."

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

When Gavin finally exited Fowler's office, and started heading over, Connor saw Hank instantly tense up opposite- not too subtly keeping an eye on the Detective from behind his own computer monitor. Choosing to set that aside for the time being, as he knew the Lieutenant's concern came from a well meaning place, Connor allowed a smile to make its way onto his face. Pushing his chair back slightly from his desk, he turned to greet Gavin- whose own face brightened as he came to stand beside Connor.

"What did Captain Fowler have to say?" Connor spoke up, as the Detective sat on the edge of his desk.

"Just checking in." Gavin offered, awkwardly- glancing back at the Captain's office for a moment- before his focus returned to Connor.

"Checking you didn't end up killing-" Hank started, clearly having been listening in.

"Lieutenant." Connor spoke firmly.

"It's alright." Gavin shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant. "Guess I deserve it."

"You guess?" Hank asked incredulously.

"Look-" Gavin took a deep breath. "I deserve it. Fuck. Happy now, Anderson?"

"Almost." Hank raised an eyebrow. "It's a start."

When the Lieutenant's focus returned to the pile of paperwork across his own desk, Connor looked up at Gavin. The man was clearly uncomfortable with the exchange, but was tactfully choosing not to bring it up, whilst Hank was around.

"Gavin-" Connor started.

"Let's just-" Gavin cleared his throat. "The footage. Find anything?"

"Not yet. I'm still sorting through the files. Nothing stands out." Connor answered.

"Hope we find something."

"If we don't-"

"Cross that bridge when we get to it."

"That's…a wise decision."

As the two of them fixated on the computer monitor, watching the reels of footage flicker on the screen, Connor glanced upwards at Gavin. The Detective was pointedly leaning away from him, likely out of a desire to avoid any confrontation with the Lieutenant. Knowing the entire situation, however much Gavin deserved it for their chequered past, was going to have an impact on the Detective, Connor took a deep breath- and did something he'd been longing to do for some time.

Sure, he'd tried it briefly, and Gavin had even initiated it a few times- but he'd never done it himself.

Quickly glancing up to check that Hank was fully engrossed in his own work, Connor quietly reached out with his right hand. Finding that it trembled, something he'd never truly noticed on himself, he braced himself. Ever mindful of their surroundings, Connor placed his hand on Gavin's leg- just above his knee.

He couldn't quite bring himself to go beyond that. However much he wished to. It was far too early in their tentative relationship- if it could even be considered anything near that- to try anything further.

The motion surprised Gavin, but the man somehow managed to hide his shock. With eyes wide, he looked down…and then looked towards Connor. When their eyes became locked, staring into one another, he started moving his hand away, only to find himself surprised. Gavin reached out with his right hand, also keeping an eye on Hank- and placed it on top of Connors.

As their fingers interlaced, Connor felt the strange ache in his chest return, accompanied by his thirium pump skipping more than a few beats. It was…as close to a perfect moment as they could get, with so many eyes roving around the room.

When Gavin's face began turning red once more, the Detective quickly returned his focus to the screen.

It took Connor a few seconds before he could bring himself to do the same.

* * *

A short time later, attributed to Connor linking up with the computer, the two of them were forced to lean back- and reluctantly unlink their hands. Despite the overabundance of high-quality footage, they were unable to find anything of note. It simply showed the two missing students going about their daily college routine, with nothing to indicate they were in distress. They'd, once again, found absolutely nothing.

And it was…infuriating, to say the least.

Reporting back to Captain Fowler that their search had yielded no results was even more difficult. Draining, almost.

Connor was used to being able to discover clues within seconds of showing up at the scene of a crime or receiving tangled files, so to find himself at another dead end was extremely rare.

Even with the complexity of the Deviancy case, he'd still been able to find a fair collection of clues and vital details at his and Hank's first crime scene.

Connor hoped this case wouldn't be a labyrinth of dead ends.

"Connor?" Gavin's voice brought everything back into focus- which Connor was grateful for.

In more ways than one.

"Still in there?" Gavin waved his hand in front of Connor's face.

"I'm here." Connor spoke, blinking rapidly.

It was an empty gesture, but it served to bring him back into reality.

"Good." Gavin hopped off Connor's desk, stumbling slightly- but quickly recovering. "Fuck. So, still got nothing."

"Not necessarily." Connor attempted to be optimistic. "We may still get results from the ring we discovered earlier."

"Maybe." Gavin shrugged. "Hope we don't have to wait too long."

"It's a delicate process." Connor pointed out.

"Can't you-" Gavin started.

"Trust me, Reed. You don't want to see how he handles forensics." Hank spoke up. "Fucking Cyberlife..."

"Do I want to know?" Gavin sounded amused.

"I'm…not sure." Connor spoke awkwardly.

Before Gavin could question the matter further, a tired looking latent tech wandered over, pulling nervously on their badge-covered lab coat as they walked. They were clearly uncomfortable with being asked to come up to the department's central hub. Which brought a new level of concern to Connor's mind. The quiet analysts usually kept to the relative peace and quiet of their labs, preferring to avoid the busier areas of the DPD whenever and wherever possible.

"Detective Reed." The tech stopped a short distance away. "Detective Anderson."

Noting the smile that crept onto Hank's face, as the tech spoke to himself and Gavin, Connor found himself smiling- but that expression quickly vanished when he returned his focus to the agitated analyst. Their expression, beyond the exhaustion, was grave.

Which could mean any number of things- but none of them good.

"Yes?" Connor refocused, noticing Gavin doing the same.

"The evidence you brought in is pretty badly damaged." The tech explained. "Weather damage, few small fragments missing from the overall structure."

"Will you be able to find anything?" Connor asked, tactfully keeping his voice low.

"Can't say for sure. One of our guys has run it through some scans, and he's making a 3d model to fill in the missing fragments. Once we've got that, we should be able to discover what the shield emblem symbolises." The tech continued. "Other than that, we've got a very small, partial print. Not sure if we'll be able to fix that."

"I see. When can we expect to see any results?" Connor asked.

"Probably a day or two." The tech sighed. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Gavin surprised them both by speaking up.

"Just…let us know as soon as you have anything." Connor smiled, attempting to ease the analyst's nerves.

"Of course." The tech nodded gratefully. "Goodnight, Detectives."

As soon as they were out of earshot, Gavin groaned dramatically, running his hands down his face in a display of mock despair.

It took everything Connor had not to laugh.

"No luck?" Hank noticed the display.

"Fuck!" Gavin cursed.

"Take that as a yes." Hank hid his laughter behind a mug of coffee that he was slowly drinking.

"We don't have anything." Connor confirmed.

"You'll find something." Hank offered. "I know you will. And as much as I hate your fucking guts, Reed, you're not a complete failure at your job."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Anderson." Gavin slid his hands into his trouser pockets.

"You're welcome." Hank resumed drinking his coffee for a moment, before continuing. "You two heading out?"

"We need to examine our…apartment." Connor sunk back in his chair.

"Still not ha-" Hank started.

"We'll…I'll be alright, Lieutenant." Connor quickly interrupted, mindful of the underlying tension.

"You sure?" Hank asked.

"I'm sure." Connor smiled.

"Alright." Hank shrugged, before focusing on Gavin. "You say one more fucking thing-"

"You'll kill me?" Gavin offered.

"You're not a complete dumb-" Hank started.

"Lieutenant." Connor spoke firmly.

"Alright, alright." Hank put down his mug, and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just…let me know when you get there, Connor."

"I will." Connor reassured him.

As he and Gavin stood up, and slung their bags over their respective shoulders, Connor looked around the room. It was remarkably emptier than it had been when they first arrived, and judging by the darkness behind the windows, more time had passed than either of them had realized. Even Chris and Tina were long gone, forced to return to their nightly patrols.

Which meant they only had a handful of hours left to get to their apartment, acclimatize, and rest- before they did it all again tomorrow.

"Come on, Connor." Gavin was the first of the two of them to speak up.

"I know." Connor adjusted his jacket, before turning to Hank. "I'll keep you updated, Lieutenant."

"Appreciate it." Hank smiled slightly. "I just worry about you."

"I know. I'll be fine." Connor reassured him. "Don't stay longer than necessary, Hank."

"I won't, son." Hank waved him off, as he returned to his paperwork. "Can't leave Sumo for too much longer anyway."

Finding himself smiling at the mention of the lovable canine, Connor felt a slight relief to the tension and nerves that had built up in his systems over the course of the day.

Whilst he had become accustomed to working on high-profile cases, since becoming deviant he had found they affected him more and more. He attributed it to being able to feel that much more.

"Connor!" Gavin called, standing on the other side of the room, once again serving as a way for him to refocus.

"I'm coming!" Connor raised his voice a little, not wanting to disturb those who were still chipping away at their work. He paused to say goodbye to Hank- he never left work without doing so. "I'll speak with you tomorrow, Lieutenant."

"Sounds good." Hank smiled slightly. "Goodnight, Connor."

"Goodnight, Hank." Connor found himself smiling.

He kept that smile on his face, as he headed across the room to Gavin. Who was waiting patiently, leaning against the wall as he idly scrolled through something on his phone- with a lazy smile on his face.

A smile that stretched ear to ear, when he looked up and saw Connor approaching- and hastily shoved his phone in his jacket pocket.

"Let's go." Gavin walked with a spring in his step- waving to the receptionists as they passed by.

Still wearing that lopsided, endearing smile.

With the slightest hint of **that** dimple.

* * *

As Gavin navigated the car out of the parking lot, Connor began to feel just how long the day had been. How long the past 2 days had been, in fact. Not even 72 hours earlier, Gavin had practically been at his throat, slinging insult after insult in his direction.

Yet here they were now, almost like none of that had ever happened, sinking deeper and deeper into a case that seemed to be spiralling out of control, constantly forcing them into dead end after dead end.

It was-

"Connor!" Gavin's voice interrupted his thoughts, for the umpteenth time that day.

"Yes, Det-" Connor paused, before remembering that they were no longer at the DPD- and therefore had no reason to call one another by their formal titles. "Gavin?"

"We don't have any food." Gavin answered simply. "I'm pretty fucking hungry."

"What should we do? It's getting late." Connor turned to face his partner.

"Could see if a diner or something's open." Gavin suggested. "Know a place-"

"I could make something…for us." Connor spoke up, tentatively.

"You cook?" Gavin seemed intrigued. "Did they…uh…give you that, or…fuck. That came out wrong."

"It's alright." Connor found himself struggling not to laugh, as the man stumbled over his words. "I've been able to teach myself through information that I've discovered-"

"Short answer?" Gavin asked awkwardly, the exhaustion in his face slowly becoming evident. "You know what? Just…ignore me, dipshit."

"I don't mind." Connor reassured him. "We've had a long day. And it's not likely to get any easier from this point forward."

"Thanks…Connor." Gavin cleared his throat, before returning his focus to the road ahead. "You ok to…cook? Can just order something."

"We could. But I wouldn't advise we make a habit of it." Connor leant back in his seat. "Too much can be detrimental to-"

"Says the guy who can eat whatever the fuck he wants." Gavin shook his head, before realising how the sentence had sounded. "I'm just-"

"Making an attempt at humour?" Connor suggested.

"Making an attempt?" Gavin repeated, eyebrow raised.

"You made an effort." Connor joked.

"Fuck you." Gavin laughed good-naturedly.

Connor quickly swallowed the less than innocent reply that instantly came to mind.

For the time being.

"So…" Gavin spoke up again.

"I can cook." Connor repeated. "I don't mind."

"Alright." Gavin shrugged, the hint of a smile on his face, before continuing. "I can…uh…make dessert?"

"You don't have to-" Connor started.

"I want to, dipshit." Gavin interrupted, smile returning.

"Then…I'd like that." Connor felt a burst of thirium rush to his face- and saw Gavin's own skin flushing slightly red in response to the ultraviolet blush that Connor knew was shining in his face.

"I-" Gavin cleared his throat, looking away from Connor.

"Are you alright?" Connor asked gently.

"No, I'm good." Gavin pointedly kept his gaze away.

"Is something-" Connor paused, and thought for a moment.

"Your face, uh-" Gavin stumbled over his words.

"The…" Connor realised what Gavin meant, and he felt his heart begin to sink. "The thirium. If that reaction disturbs you, Detective, I should be able to-"

"No, that's not-fuck!" Gavin quickly returned his focus to Connor, looking more than a little embarrassed. "That's not what I meant, dipshit."

"Then what did you mean?" Connor pursued, still confused.

"Never seen you do that." Gavin stopped for a moment, to think. "Looks…good?"

"Are you asking me or telling me, Gavin?" Connor questioned, finding it hard not to smile.

"…both?" Gavin spoke tentatively.

The way the line was delivered, combined with the uncertain look on Gavin's face, finally made Connor let out all the tension that had been building over the course of the day- by slipping into a loud fit of laughter.

Something that the Detective instantly joined in. They both knew that what Gavin said wasn't exactly the pinnacle of comedy, but it was clear they both needed something to laugh at, after the day they'd had.

Just as Gavin was beginning to wheeze with laughter again, Connor finally regained control of himself- finding that the blue blush had remained on his face as a result. Just as he was about to ask if the Detective was alright, the expression on the man's face changed in an instant- and dramatically. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Are you-" Connor started, concerned.

"If I don't eat something, I'm going to shoot the next prick that-" Gavin started.

"That's a little dramatic." Connor pointed out.

"Can never be too dramatic when food is involved, dipshit." Gavin raised an eyebrow, mockingly serious.

"That still seems excessive." Connor frowned.

"It's food, Connor." Gavin continued.

"…was that another attempt at humour?" Connor realised, finding a smile creeping back onto his face.

"Fuck you." Gavin returned his focus to the road.

"Glad-" Connor quickly stopped himself, backtracking before the Detective could question where he was going with that statement. "Where should we go?"

"Connor?"

"For the food."

"Oh…right."

"The Lieutenant normally-"

"No, we are not going there."

"I didn't even tell you where-"

"That college President prick gave us that card, right?"

"Correct."

"Then we should spend it."

"On food?"

"Why the fuck not?"

"…you have a point."

* * *

When they pulled up outside the most expensive food store they could find, discovered with a quick internet search, Connor found himself slightly stunned. Partly due to the fact that it was still open at whatever the hour was, but mostly because of how the store looked. The exterior was so luxurious it could almost be compared to a luxury hotel- all modern architecture and gleaming windows. With delicate framework and edging, and not a single shred of material out of place, it looked almost…strange…when Connor compared it to the places he and Hank normally frequented.

It wasn't unlike a modern sculpture, infinitely more opulent than it needed to be- a display of excess wealth.

…that he and Gavin were about to take advantage of.

"This place just looks like it's made of cash." Gavin broke the silence.

"I agree, it's certainly-"

"Which means the food is good." Gavin interrupted.

"Gavin-" Connor stumbled over his words, as the Detective practically leaped out of the car.

"Come on, dipshit." Gavin ducked down, to look Connor in the eye. "Might as well make the most of it."

* * *

As he and Gavin stepped through the glossy automatic doors, and into the store itself, Connor found himself stunned into silence. The building was far vaster on the inside than the gaudy exterior had indicated, with aisle after aisle of luxury food stretching as far as the eye could see. Aisles that were meticulously arranged, with even the signs reflecting the price of the goods- on which letters had been etched with delicate cursive. It almost didn't seem real.

"Hurry the fuck up!" Gavin shattered the peace as he caught Connor's attention, ignoring how the crass wording made the suited doorman cringe.

"I'm coming!" Connor headed after the Detective, offering an apologetic glance in the guard's direction.

"Stuck here for however long this will take." Gavin spoke, as he placed his phone on an automatic shopping cart.

If it could even be called a cart- it looked like something out of a science fiction movie, sleek in its minimalistic style.

"Where should we start?" Connor spoke up, as he walked up to Gavin's side.

"Didn't think that far." Gavin admitted.

"Perhaps it would help if we planned ahead." Connor started.

"So…we come up with a fucking menu?" Gavin tilted his head slightly. "Alright. I know you like pepperoni pizza, but we can't….we could-"

"We can't eat pizza for every meal. It would-"

"Have an adverse effect on my cholesterol levels?"

"…yes."

"Fine."

"That was easy."

"For you. Fuck."

"Are you alright?"

"Think I just died on the inside."

"That's a little dramatic."

"I'm trying to make you laugh, dipshit."

"Then you'll have to try harder."

"Is that a challenge?"

"It may be."

"Alright. Challenge fucking accepted."

"I have a feeling I may regret this."

"Can't back out now, Connor."

"I'm aware."

* * *

 **GAVIN P.O.V**

* * *

Several minutes had passed, and Connor had yet to laugh at one of his jokes. Either Gavin's sense of humour had gone to shit thanks to Chris and Tina, or the android had a fucking iron will. He hoped it was the latter.

The others would never let him live it down if it got out that his comedic skills had flown out the window.

He could try puns- they were always reliable- but Gavin suspected that Connor wouldn't find that funny either. Or that he'd just respond with some detailed, smart-ass comment.

What could he-

Gavin found himself shocked out of his thoughts, when his face collided with something.

 **Hard.**

Immediately recoiling, Gavin found that he'd walked straight into an elaborately carved, sculpture-like column. That, in hindsight, was easy to avoid- it wasn't as if it was in the centre of the pathway.

Inwardly cursing, dreading the bruise that was likely to spread across his nose as a result, Gavin turned to look at Connor, ready to lose what little remained of his dignity…

Only to see the android doubled over in near silent laughter, having to lean on the automated cart for support.

He was blue in the face with the force of each laugh, tears streaming from his eyes.

"The fuck, Connor?" Gavin blinked rapidly to clear the daze from his eyes.

"I apologise-" Connor barely managed to get a few words out before slipping into another fit of laughter.

He'd never seen the android laugh like that before.

"So my jokes don't get a fucking smile, but me walking into that thing-" Gavin took a deep breath.

"It was so easy to avoid-" Connor attempted to catch his breath- even though he technically didn't need to do that- only to ultimately fail.

"Yeah, yeah, just fucking-" Gavin took another deep breath. "Come on, Connor."

"I will, if…" Connor finally straightened up, still wearing a barely withheld smile on his face.

"If?" Gavin pursued.

"If you can promise not to assault the store any further." Connor tilted his head slightly.

"Fuck you." Gavin turned away, starting to feel a blush coming onto his face.

"I believe you've said that multiple times today." Connor focused entirely on Gavin. "Is there something you're trying to tell me, Gavin?"

Finding himself suddenly frozen in shock, at what the android had said, Gavin tried to come up with some kind of reply- but fell short. How the fuck was he supposed to respond to that?

With a yeah, actually?

Anderson would kill him.

With a just tell me when and where?

Definitely not.

With a thought you'd never ask?

If the other options didn't scare Connor away, that one definitely would.

Just as he was weighing up his options, Gavin saw Connor's face slowly start to turn blue. It only took a few seconds before the android's face was practically iridescent. Which meant that what he had just said, and the implications of it, had finally caught up to him.

Gavin couldn't work out if he was relieved or not.

"I apologise, Detective." Connor adopted Gavin's formal title, likely as a way to distract from the absolute fucking bombshell he'd just let loose. "That was inappropriate."

"Don't mention it." Gavin shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant- though doing so hurt more than he could have ever thought possible. "Fuck. I mean it."

"You do?"

"Don't want Anderson kicking down my door."

"Oh…right."

Not wanting the hurt to show itself on his face, Gavin forced himself to turn away from Connor, and move his mind away from the reel of…interesting images that had flooded his brain.

* * *

 **CONNOR P.O.V**

* * *

When a good few minutes passed by with neither of them speaking a word, Connor felt the odd ache in his chest start to return. He couldn't find the strength to push it away. After all, no matter how much he privately wished for that statement to yield some kind of action from Gavin, it was still incredibly inappropriate.

Completely and utterly out of line.

Especially when Connor considered the fact that they'd only just started getting to know one another.

That they still had so much more left to learn.

Truly, he'd barely scratched the surface on the mystery that was Gavin Reed.

And he may have just jeopardized what little they had.

All with a simple, albeit crude, joke.

"Gavin." Connor cleared his throat, gaining the Detective's attention. "I wanted to apol-"

"Already did." Gavin shrugged, before tossing another luxurious looking cake into the cart.

"It was inappropriate-"

"Connor-"

"I was out of line-"

"Connor!"

The stern tone of Gavin's voice slowed Connor to a halt, literally and figuratively- he came to a stop quickly, barely remembering to avoid the column that had been in his path.

"...Yes?" Connor eventually spoke up, noticing that the Detective was waiting for him to respond.

"I've said worse shit to you." Gavin spoke sincerely, before working a lopsided grin onto his face. "Figured I can give you a pass on that one."

"You're not upset?" Connor pursued.

"Why would I be?" Gavin questioned.

Why would he be, indeed.

Offering a smile in response, Connor watched as the Detective's body language instantly relaxed.

A sight that finally made the painful ache in his chest go away…

Though it didn't leave without an accompaniment of stutters from his thirium pump.

* * *

Thankfully, after their brief exchange, the tension surrounding them seemed to have dissipated. Something that Connor was grateful for. He couldn't imagine navigating the rest of the case with that hanging over them. nor could he imagine where it would have left them after their case had concluded. It would have been a monumental loss, for their relationship to end over something as ultimately trivial as a crass joke.

No matter how much truth was in Connor's statement.

"Connor!" Gavin's voice saved him from his own thoughts.

"Yes?" Connor headed over to the Detective, followed dutifully by the automated cart.

"What the fuck is **this**?" Gavin's voice audibly cracked on the **this** , as he shoved a food package in Connor's direction, looking visibly disgusted.

Confused by his partner's adverse reaction, Connor opened his mouth to retort- only to have the multitude of words at his disposal ultimately fail him, when he examined what was in his hands.

"Caviar…" Connor frowned at the next word. "Fondue?"

"Who- who eats this shit?" Gavin asked incredulously, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I'm…not sure."

"You'd have to be high as a fucking kite to eat something like that."

"I…agree. It has no appeal."

"Caviar fondue."

"Caviar fondue."

"I mean, can think of someone who'd eat that."

"Who could possibly-"

"My prick of a brother."

"He'd…eat this?"

"Guy's an asshole, so makes sense he has shit taste."

"Was that a joke?"

"Did it make you laugh?"

"…does a smile count?"

"It's something."

* * *

"Gavin, I believe I may have found something." Connor spoke, after a few minutes of silence.

"What?" Gavin turned round, having previously been examining a box of ice cream with great focus.

"Something…worse…than caviar fondue." Connor found himself mildly repulsed.

"The fuck could be worse than-" Gavin started.

"Caviar and cream cheese gelato." Connor interrupted.

"Think I just threw up in mouth." Gavin heaved slightly.

"That's…no. I…do believe that reaction is justified." Connor found it increasingly hard to control his laughter.

"…we should try it." Gavin suggested.

"Why?" Connor questioned.

"…I don't know." Gavin thought for a moment, before his eyes lit up. "We could give it to Chris."

"I'm not certain he'd wish to-"

"Tell him its…fuck, I don't know…vanilla or some shit?"

"I don't want to be responsible for the death of a fellow officer."

"Technically, we're-"

"Are you attempting to dissect my joke, Detective?"

"That was a joke?"

"There's no use feigning interest. I was able to detect a smile on your face."

"…shit."

* * *

Whilst their constant bewilderment at the vast array of peculiar items did slow them down more than he had anticipated, Connor found himself enjoying the venture. More than he'd likely ever be able to convey. There was something oddly blissful, about moving from the often-stressful nature of their jobs, to something simple and domestic. Something as mundane and repetitive as grocery shopping. It was, in part, due to the company.

Perhaps **more** than just in part.

But Connor knew that. He couldn't bring himself to imagine what the task, and by proxy their case, would have been without Gavin at his side. Without the Detective offering terribly executed puns and jokes at every corner. Without him almost walking into practically every column, constantly distracted by something new.

Connor found the ache in his chest return, as he went back to observing his new partner. Gavin was clearly having the time of his life, reacting mostly in disgust to a lot of the items on display. It was oddly endearing how much he seemed to be enjoying the experience.

He found himself hoping that they'd have more moments like this in the future.

Moments to share.

With Gavin.

* * *

After a long, yet never tedious process, Connor found himself and Gavin at the end of the last aisle in the store. One dedicated entirely to varying kinds of alcohol, gleaming in an array of oddly shaped bottles, and arranged methodically on gleaming shelves. It was oddly alluring, seeing the light reflect off of the alcohol- and the whiskey in particular- but Connor had to tactfully steer them away from it all.

Drinking, whilst tempting, and despite his experience with vodka, could certainly wait until Friday.

Not that he intended to drink much.

After all, it was a party with a…purpose. Designed solely to glean any kind of information they could discover about their missing students. The very reason he and Gavin were there at all.

"Gavin-" Connor spoke up, when he noticed the Detective gazing wistfully at a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"I know." Gavin reluctantly put the bottle back.

"We'll have to return later-"

"For the party. I know."

When they slipped into an uncomfortable quiet, Connor forced his scrambled systems to reconnect, in an effort to find something to fill in the silence.

"Did we miss anything?" Connor questioned, inwardly agonizing over how awkward he sounded.

"Give me a-" Gavin paused, before a lopsided grin worked its way onto his face. "Forgot one thing."

"What did we-" Connor started.

"Cart surfing." Gavin stepped closer.

"Cart…surfing? I'm unfamiliar with the term." Connor was confused.

"Then you haven't lived yet." Gavin explained.

"I'm confused." Connor had his suspicions on what the term meant, but he'd learned not to assume anything.

Where the Detective was involved, at least.

"Look. All you have to do is-" Gavin paused. "Fuck. These things are automated."

"I'm still-" Connor tried speaking.

"Can you…uh…hack it?" Gavin interrupted.

"Hack it?" Connor echoed.

"The shopping cart." Gavin gestured to theirs.

"I am the most advanced prototype Cyberlife ever created." Connor started. "And you're requesting that I use my software to hack a…shopping cart."

"…is that a no?" Gavin asked tentatively.

 **Was it?**

"…no. I'll do it." Connor sighed.

"Knew I could count on you." Gavin grinned, with a hint of that dimple returning.

"I'll bring an empty one over." Connor took advantage of the opportunity to walk away before his skin turned electric blue once more.

"Why not this-" Gavin started.

"I don't want caviar and cream cheese gelato leaking onto our groceries when the cart falls over." Connor offered as an explanation.

"It won't fall over." Gavin frowned.

"Are you willing to take that chance? I'm not certain those flavours would pair well with-" Connor started.

"Fuck. I get it." Gavin interrupted once more.

"Good. Wait here, Gavin. I won't be long." Connor felt a surge of relief run through his wired systems.

"Sure." Gavin shrugged.

"You're not offering to-" Connor started.

"Get to watch you leave, don't I?" Gavin tilted his head slightly, before visibly cringing. "Connor, I didn't-"

"I'm not complaining." Connor quickly turned away.

Yes, even though the idea made his thirium pump skip a beat, he certainly wasn't complaining.

Which he'd just said.

Out loud.

"Shit." Connor mumbled to himself as he sped away.

Quickly making his way across the store, willing himself not to glance back in Gavin's general direction, Connor soon found himself by the small army of automated carts. He knew he likely shouldn't be encouraging this sort of behaviour, much less participating, but he was admittedly intrigued to see the Detective's idea come to fruition.

However ill-fated of an idea it was.

* * *

As soon as they walked all the way to the opposite end of the aisle, Connor started to regret his decision. Regret that instantly faded away when he saw the excitement on the Detective's face. He couldn't quite remember seeing such an expression on the man's face. Not that Connor minded. It was a welcome change to the stoic, borderline cold and emotionless expression that normally warped people's perception of Gavin.

A change that certainly wasn't committed to memory.

And stored alongside the most vital experiences.

"Connor!" Gavin spoke up, interrupting his inner thoughts for the umpteenth time that day. "Come on!"

"I'm here." Connor couldn't help the smile that worked its way onto his face. "How do I-"

"I'll go first." Gavin interrupted.

"I thought the purpose of-" Connor started.

"Got to show you how it's done, dipshit." Gavin moved closer to the cart.

"You seem to be taking this serious-" Connor was surprised at the Detective's enthusiasm.

"Connor." Gavin interrupted once more.

"Alright." Connor found himself struggling to hold back laughter, at the expression on Gavin's face. "Alright."

"Hold on." Gavin rummaged around for his phone.

"What are you-" Connor moved forward.

"Calling Chris." Gavin shrugged, as he retrieved his phone.

"Why-" Connor started.

"Should get him to join us." Gavin began scrolling through his phone.

"Won't he be on-" Connor protested.

"He'll drop whatever shit he's doing, for this." Gavin interrupted once again.

"What about our case?" Connor pursued.

"What about-" Gavin paused for a moment to think, before visibly cringing. "Our cover."

"We can't afford to jeapordise it." Connor reasoned.

"I-" Gavin took a deep breath, before cursing. "Fuck. He'll kill me if…no. Shit, you're right."

A moment passed in awkward silence, before the Detective spoke up once more.

"We could still do it. Two of us." Gavin pointed out. "You could disable the cameras."

"Which would be illegal, as neither of us has a warrant-"

"Five minutes."

"Gavin-"

"Come on. Don't know when we'll next get to do shit like this." Gavin interrupted. "Trust me, Connor."

"I…" Connor stopped for a moment, before seeming to direct all his attention towards Gavin. "I trust you."

Stunned, he watched as Gavin appeared to be swallowing back a wave of emotions, before momentarily looking away. Finding the sight of the man visibly struggling to reign in control of his emotions, Connor found himself speechless.

Had his words affected the Detective that much?

"Are you alright-" Connor started.

"I'm good." Gavin took a deep breath, before turning his gaze back to Connor, and allowing a dreamlike smile to make its way onto his face. "Let's get shit done."

"Alright." Connor found himself smiling, in return.

A smile which only grew wider, when he saw that Gavin was rubbing his hands together, seemingly in great anticipation.

This was going to be…interesting.

* * *

After he finished the temporary sync between himself and the store security, and disabled the system, Connor observed Gavin rubbing his hands together- and smiling brighter than he'd ever seen him. He found himself smiling. Whilst some would call the man's enthusiasm over something so juvenile childish, he found it oddly endearing. This was delving into the parts of the Detective that, until now, had remained a complete mystery.

Another piece of the puzzle that was Gavin Reed.

"Think you can record this?" Gavin interrupted his thoughts, as he climbed into the cart, and cautiously stood up.

"Why would you wish to document your own humiliation?"

"Why are you so sure it'll be humiliating?"

"I'm able to predict-"

"Just let me have this, dipshit."

"As you wish."

Without any word of warning, Connor wirelessly connected to the shopping cart in an instant- and sent the Detective on his way.

"Holy shit-" Gavin started, barely able to speak through a burst of laughter- somehow managing to remain upright.

When the man's laughter only appeared to get louder and louder, Connor found himself laughing as well. There was something oddly endearing about it all, even though the entire idea was ill-advised.

So much so, that he couldn't bring himself to stop it, even though his systems kept bringing up visualized predictions of how the situation could escalate.

So much so, that Connor found an idea making its way to the forefront of his mind.

"You may wish to sit down and hold on, Gavin." Connor called out, prompting the man to quickly sit down.

"What the f-" Gavin started.

Without even waiting for the rest of Gavin's response, Connor focused on the connection between him and the odd software of the automated cart- and increased the speed.

Without gradually scaling it up.

Which meant that the cart, Detective, and all, went rocketing towards the end of the aisle at breakneck speed…

...and promptly tipped over.

Now acutely aware of how the basic software could become overwhelmed in an instant, Connor practically sprinted down the aisle, fear working its way into his system when he saw that Gavin was curled up on his side, and didn't appear to be getting up.

Just as he was kneeling down, Connor found himself recoiling in shock- when the man suddenly burst into an incredibly loud fit of laughter.

As the Detective's body practically convulsed with the force of it all, Connor found himself laughing. The entire situation was ridiculous and childish, to say the least. Something that Fowler would add to their disciplinary folders if he laid eyes on the entire display.

But it was something Connor knew he'd be recalling fondly, especially in the difficult days he knew lay ahead of them.

"I should call security." A female voice interrupted their moment. "Or the cops. Store policy."

Looking over to the source, Connor saw one of the store's workers standing nearby- clearly identified by the oddly luxurious uniform clothing her body.

"I'm sorry." Connor quickly spoke, trying to get Gavin to sit up. He couldn't get them kicked out before Chris and Tina arrived. "That was-"

"Don't worry." The woman smiled slightly, all traces of anger disappearing from her face. "I think I can let you off the hook, just this once-"

"Thank you-" Connor tried interjecting.

"-but only because you two make such a cute couple." The woman smiled genuinely, as she finished speaking, unperturbed by his interruption.

Her words, which were the complete opposite reaction to the severe one they'd expected, were enough to make the two of them freeze in place, Gavin's face quickly turning an interesting deep red.

It was by sheer force of will that a bright shade of blue didn't take over Connor.

"We're not-" Gavin quickly refocused, though he still stumbled over his words.

"He's not-" Connor started.

"Oh my god." The woman cringed. "I'm so sorry. It's just…I was changing this display and I saw you two…I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." Connor immediately reassured her, finding it increasingly difficult to control the iridescent blue threatening to overtake his face. "We were-"

"I'll just…see myself out. Away. I'll just…I'm going to go." The woman stuttered.

Before he could apologise further for the disturbance, or offer some kind of reassurance, the woman ran off. Leaving Connor, awkwardly kneeling, and Gavin-still half sprawled on the ground.

"Should cut that part out." Gavin spoke awkwardly. "Stop Chris and Tina from seeing it."

"I agree." Connor cleared his throat, before offering a hand in the Detective's direction.

When Gavin took it, awkwardly glancing away as he did so, Connor helped him up, silently scanning his partner for injuries. Which, thankfully, were nothing more than a few superficial bruises.

As his focus turned from his software, and back into reality, Connor found his artificial breaths catching in his throat when the Detective stood up to his full height, and their faces grew closer together. So close together, that if he titled his head ever so slightly, they'd be…

Too close.

As much as he'd pictured the multiple outcomes of a scenario such as this, involving Gavin, Connor knew he had to back away. They had a case to solve, and they couldn't afford for emotions to cloud their judgement.

But it would be so easy to just...lean forward, dip his head, and press their lips together.

Ashamedly, Connor began to wonder whether the Detective's lips were as soft as they appeared. And how skilled the man could be with his tongue.

Thoughts that he knew were extremely inappropriate.

But thoughts he'd found his mind drifting to, nonetheless.

"Connor?" Gavin broke the silence hesitantly, expression a mixture of hurt and confusion as he slowly sat up.

"I don't detect any injuries." Connor steered the focus away from himself.

Away from just how close they were.

Though it was harder than he'd ever be able to admit.

You have a case to solve.

With those words whirring round in the back of his mind, Connor forced himself to focus. They had a long and arduous journey ahead of them, after all.

He **couldn't** afford to let his emotions cloud his judgement.

But he also didn't want to do anything to jeopardize their still tender, newly redefined relationship.

"Are you alright?" Connor asked, lowering his voice to avoid drawing further attention.

"I'm fine." Gavin awkwardly turned away for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "No thanks to you."

"I shouldn't have-" Connor started, alarmed by the sudden shift in the man's tone of voice.

"I'm just fucking with you, dipshit."

Finding his systems becoming overwhelmed by the sheer relief from the return of a familiar quip, Connor found himself bursting out into a fit of laughter- taking Gavin by surprise, if the wide eyes and hand on the chest was any indication.

It didn't take long, however, before the Detective was joining him, their voices mixing together in loud, unashamed laughter- the ridiculous motions providing an odd catharsis for all the tension that had built up over the past few hours.

As Gavin threw his head back, clutching his side as he became almost bent double from stitches, Connor found himself distracted once more.

Not letting his emotions cloud his judgement would prove more difficult than he'd ever have imagined.

"We should…" Gavin gasped for breath, forcing himself to sit up straight. "We should go."

"Perhaps it's for the best."

"The hell does that mean?"

"My turn at cart surfing would only have magnified your own failure."

"You- it wasn't even my fault!"

"That was something I believe humans call sarcasm."

"I know that, smartass."

Deciding to let the smile remain on his face, Connor slowly rose to his feet- before bending down slightly to offer both of his hands towards Gavin. Visibly surprised by the gesture, the Detective hesitated. Just long enough that Connor's thirium pump skipped a beat, before pressing their palms together…and interlocking their fingers.

Finding himself stunned into silence, Connor forced himself to refocus for the umpteenth time that day. Which was difficult, given how he and Gavin were even closer together when the Detective stood to his full height.

You have a case to solve.

With those words echoing in his mind once more, Connor battled against the conflict waging within the depths of his processors. Fought against the growing desire to seize Gavin by the collar of his jacket, and close the sliver of distance that remained between them.

 **. . .**

Taking a deep breath, despite knowing the motion was ultimately an empty gesture, Connor somehow found the strength to ignore all the messages cropping up in the corners of his vision. Somehow found the strength to push the numerous simulations of their current paths' outcome out of his mind, and step back from Gavin.

Once there was a sufficient amount of space between them, but not enough to cause the Detective any concern, Connor gestured towards the upturned cart sitting less than a foot away.

"We shouldn't cause any more trouble." Connor spoke up, heading towards the cart.

"Let me help." Gavin headed over, moving opposite.

"I'm capable of-" Connor started.

"Let me help, Connor."

"…alright."

Once the cart was in an upright position once more, Connor made to push it back to where he'd retrieved it from- only to have Gavin place a hand on his shoulder. The sudden contact surprised Connor…but it wasn't unwelcomed…or unpleasant.

"I'll take it back." Gavin offered in way of explanation.

"Are you sure?" Connor frowned slightly- noticing the hint of a smirk on the Detective's face.

"Got to watch you walk off earlier." Gavin stepped closer, hand remaining on Connor's shoulder as he leaned in. "Just returning the favour."

Feeling all the thirium rush to his face, both at the man's words and the incredibly attractive huskiness to his lowered voice, Connor found himself unable to form the words of a reply. How was he supposed to function after that, especially when Gavin had whispered the words in his ear? It was unashamed, outright **flirting**.

Was Gavin **into** him?

No, he couldn't be.

This was just him messing around, getting Connor back for the inappropriate joke the android had made earlier.

…wasn't it?

With a dozen thoughts threatening to overwhelm his processors, Connor found himself still unable to form word. Even with all the words and technology at his disposal, he couldn't think of a response. Not a single phrase. How was he supposed to take that?

When Gavin began pushing the formerly overturned cart back down the aisle, he drew Connor's attention with the gentle, subtle way his hand slipped off of the androids shoulder- rendering him speechless once again. Watching in disbelief as the Detective walked away, pointedly not turning back to look at him, Connor was unable to help himself. As his eyes roamed Gavin's back, memories of the intimate glimpse he'd had of the man's tattooed muscles came back to him. The way the Detective's back seemed almost sculpted was devilishly enticing, and so despite telling himself it would only shift his focus, Connor let his eyes drift lower.

As he focused on Gavin's sculpted rear, he felt more thirium rush into his face, if that were even possible.

All the mental strength he'd built up started ebbing away.

You have a case to solve.

Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement.

He'd said those words to himself several times, and only a few moments ago. When it truly hit him that those words were certainly easier said than done, Connor forced himself tear his eyes away from Gavin, to take a few deep breaths. Which, in and of itself, wasn't easy, for the odd ache in his chest had returned.

How was he supposed to focus?

Knowing he'd have to figure it out soon enough, before he fell too deep and his emotions put the nature of their new relationship at risk, Connor felt his thirium pump skip more than a few beats, magnifying the unidentifiable ache in his chest.

Focus.

Focus.

 **Focus.**

"Enjoy the view?" Gavin's voice echoed in his head.

Startling out of his thoughts, Connor let his eyes move upwards once more- only to discover that the Detective had swiftly returned, and was standing a mere few feet away. With a familiar, almost cocky smirk still on his face. Albeit one paired with a weakening red blush on the man's face.

"I…" Connor paused.

He knew he had to focus, but he also didn't want to hurt the Detective's feelings…no matter what those were. What he came up with was perhaps not the wisest words, given the mantra of focus that he was repeating in the depths of his mind, but he was running out of time to respond- Gavin's smile was starting to drop…ever so slightly. Taking a deep breath, focusing on the man's eyes and nothing else, he finally gathered the courage to speak.

"I don't believe I've observed a better view." Connor willed his tone to stay level.

"Well-" Gavin cleared his throat, as his face went scarlet, clearly not having anticipated such a genuine response. "I, uh…fuck."

"Are you-" Connor started, concerned.

"I'm good." Gavin took several deep breaths.

When their eyes locked together, Connor found himself drawn in, against all reason. Against the infinite reel of the word focus repeating in his mind.

How could he **not** be drawn in?

"We should continue…" Connor snapped himself out of his mind's processors for once.

Not that it was easy. It was, in fact, one of the most difficult things he'd ever done- pushing his feelings and emotions as far back into his processors as they could go.

"Continue…" Gavin tilted his head slightly, drawing Connor's attention

"With our task." Connor hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

"Yeah-" Gavin glanced away awkwardly. "Should…do that."

* * *

And that concludes chapter 3 of this gargantuan Part of Love In Literature! I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll be back as soon as I can with more! If you feel this part ended weird, its because I was originally going to add even more to this update- but stopped as I didn't want to burn myself out.

 **The stuff I _was_ going to include will come as another part, ASAP. It'll be kind of filler-ish, mainly fun and fluff, kind of like Part 4: Tension.**

Before you go, though, I want to thank you all again for the continued support.

 _Were it not for you, I wouldn't still be writing this series._

And we certainly wouldn't be 6 parts in.

 **So...thank you 3**


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